The Runner Of Far Away Lands
by AlhrexoTwKi
Summary: A boy named Alex is found with the blood of his abusive parent's killers blood on his hands. After an accident he wakes up a stranger in a strange land. He meets a fox named Amber. Will a partnership form? Will blood be spilt? Will chaos ensue? Well, for your sake, I suggest you start reading now.
1. The Blood On His Hands

_**Alex's POV:**_

I sprinted down the path, being wary of every noise around me or sensation that was sent through my body. My long, wavy black hair flapped in the wind behind me. "no, no, no!" I half-muttered, half shouted. I still didn't understand what had just happened.

As I fled the cabin, I started to feel the thoughts of what had just occurred seeping into my vision. The bloodied corpses of my parents lying on the kitchen floor... The floor scattered with items from the counters. The struggle was apparent. One of the intruding men was standing over my father with a look of horror on his face, as he stared at the gun he held. He had realized his mistake. The other intruder was different. I wasn't able to read the expression on his face, because he wore what seemed to be a ski mask. I had decided that I couldn't let them get away with this. I had grabbed my hatchet, and lunged at the man closest to the walled off staircase.

He had no time to react. I drove my hatchet into the front of his chest with all of the anger from the nights previous argument. I removed the hatchet and finished him off with a hit from a conveniently placed cast iron pan, knocked over during the struggle. _Still warm from our late dinner_ , I thought.

I proceeded to grab the gun, and fire 4 times at the other man. I had heard sirens in the distance. Realizing what I had just done, I grabbed what I could and ran. The time had read 12:53 A.M when I fled. Here I was, not knowing what had just became of my life. The anger burned in my face. After what felt like hours, I came to a small clearing where the path seemed to veer off into. I nearly collapsed from exhaustion. After a few minutes of laying in the yellowed grasses and waiting to regain my energy, I sat up. I had to see what I had been able to grab from the cabin before I fled. I pulled open the zipper of my navy blue canvas backpack. Before I had even set my hatchet onto the grass, A thought came into my head.

The memories of the many times that I had been beaten. The times I had been thrown out of the house. Hell, I have more experience living out here in the forest than in the nearby city or inside of the cabin. I care about my parents death- but more than they would have mine. They never loved me, and they had expressed it in many ways, I thought. The flashbacks were seized from my vision, when I heard what I feared most: dogs.

Knowing my time was limited, and daylight was to come sooner or later, I zipped the pack closed. I slung it over my shoulder, and started to run. _This time, I should be careful to not sprint, after all. I don't want to make noise or anything of the sort,_ I thought. I realized something, and I muttered "Well, this isn't going to work." I stepped off of the path, and ran through the forest. Of all times, my mother had finally actually used her phone for once, as we were being robbed. It appeared ironic that the one time she used it, it ended with me on the run from police. Running through the all too familiar Wasatch Forest, I could hear the faint cried and wails of sirens and the barking of dogs. "What am I thinking- hold on, what are they thinking!" I yelped as thoughts flooded my mind. _Who did the police think I was? Another thief? The son of the two still dressed in their pajamas?_ _A killer?_ _Would they find out who I am?_ I came to another clearing much later, having escaped. I setup my tent and went to sleep.

I awoke with most of the muscles in my body aching. "Damn. I shouldn't have ran like that" I spoke to nobody in particular while I stretched. I surveyed and laid out the items I had gathered the night before. My hatchet, a flint without a steel, some spare clothing, medical supplies (painkillers, gauze, you get it: the usual), the empty pistol of first criminal that I had killed, a three person tent, canned food, several bottles of water, and money. I counted around three dozen quarters, taken from my father's nightstand, around a dozen dollar coins, that contained the usual yellow glow. _It isn't much, maybe enough for a couple of days._

Unsure of the current situation of if I was a wanted criminal (I cringed at the thought). _It would be best to get moving soon._ I pulled down the tent, stuffed it into the already bulging bag, and set off. I pondered what would become of my new life. Something rustled to my right. Straying from my planned route to follow it, I realized my mistake all too late. As the creature seemingly disappeared, I the ledge came all too suddenly.

As I fell, I used what skills I had and whipped myself around, grasping for anything to help save me. _Nothing, dammit_ I thought. I hit the ground with an agonizing **THUD**.

 **Keep in mind that this is an introduction, and I am fairly new to this. The other chapters won't be this short, and they will come out at around a rate of two per week, or more. Hopefully around 2-3 times the length of this. Aiming for a 2,000 page minimum on average. This was around 1,000 pages.**


	2. The First Encounter

My eyes fluttered partIally open. It seemed like earlier in the morning than I had remembered. Just as I attempted to sit up, a sharp pain tore through my legs. It became apparent to me that not only did my legs break my fall, but it seemed that the fall had broken something in return.

I immediately knew that it was nothing major, as I had no trouble maintaining consciousness. I slowly sat up, being conscious of what I had just done to my legs. Then what I noticed brought all of my attention to what I was looking at. There were trees above and around me. _I don't remember this._

I fully sat up, only to realise that I was in an entirely different place. The ledge that I had came from disappeared, and everything was replaced by flat ground. The familiar pine trees had all disappeared as well.

I started to develop a feeling of concern. _It even smells different here… wherever I am._ As the words recited through my mind, my stomach growled greedily. I went to take my backpack off, only do feel air in its place. "What the…" I said aloud as I spotted it a few feet to the left of a nearby tree. I flopped onto my side to retrieve my bag. Still aching from the fall, I propped myself up against the tree with the bag in my hand. I greedily tore open the bag, only to find my fruit bars and other food items had been replaced with strange fruits and seasoned dried meats. The plastic bottles had been replaced by a large metal flask.

I just stared down at the contents of my bag, almost sensing the look of utter confusion on my face. I could feel my face start to heat up and turn red from confusion and partial embarrassment. I took a piece of the dried meat out of the bag, regardless of every fiber of my being screaming at me not to. I threw it around in my hands, making sure I wasn't dreaming.

I stopped tossing the steak around, feeling rather silly over the matter. I took a fairly good sized bite of the meat, which for some reason I couldn't tasted fine, but was nothing special. _Dream meat_ I thought. I chucked at the thought. That was when the thought came to my mind. _What if this really isn't a dream…_ "After all, i'm pretty sure that this will hurt" I spoke to nobody in particular. I reached balled my hand into a fist, and tapped near my ankle. The pain already present in my body shot up another magnitude, forcing out a small yelp. _Interesting…_ I thought. I reassured myself by thinking of my past.

 _I am Alex. I am 19 years old. I was born on January 23rd, 1997. The current date is June 3rd. 2016. I come from-_ I hesitated _\- a family from which I was not loved. I am an-orphan..._ I cringed as the last phrase completed the thought. Sure that I was in fact not dreaming, I zipped my bag and stood, towering 5 feet and 10 inches up. I was slim, I had to admit. I was not muscular, but my wits made up for it in combat. I had self-taught myself fighting, but rarely had to use it. In all of the four situations, I had turned out on top.

But for some reason now, even if this wasn't a fight, I didn't feel like I had turned out on top. I felt like a stranger in a strange land. Deciding that I didn't have much of a choice. I grabbed the wrap out of my bag and got to work on my right ankle. I removed my boots and socks, and applied the wrap necessary. I opened my medkit, and took out the bottle of painkillers it contained. I took two.

I spotted a nearby stick, and selected it fit as a walking stick. I had just stood up, when I heard a sharp rustling sound that seemed to be approaching very quickly. It was getting louder, and quicker. I tensed up, realising I was in the middle of the clearing. Being injured, I wasn't able to move fast enough.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

"Get back here!" screamed master. I had escaped from his grasp, moments before. I had managed to convince him to release my cuffs and binding spells, so I could help carry the supplies for our trip that we were to depart on that evening. Removing the cuffs granted me the ability to make a run for it.

I ran through the forest, following no path. I glanced behind me, realising the mistake all too late. My paw impacted the root, causing my lower half to stop short. I landed with a **THUD**. I quickly pushed off of the ground to get back up and running, to resume my life or death sprint.

I was clearly out running him. "When I catch you, you will suffer for the rest of your days!" He screamed, further away this time. _I need to focus on where i'm going!_ I thought, almost losing my balance to another stick.

I shot past two unknowing guards in a small clearing. Luckily, I was light enough on my feet to slip past unnoticed. I prayed the same would go for my master. It appeared that they failed to notice him, nor he notice them. I thanked the gods that I wouldn't have to deal with extra heat on my tail- _Literally_ , I half giggled, half nervously laughed. I resumed my sprint

I focused on the task at hand. _Make it out of earshot and sight, then keep running from there._ It sounded so simple. Yet somehow I knew it would never be that simple. I spotted a larger clearing than the last one up ahead. I prayed that nobody would be around.

I glanced down as I neared the clearing,attempting to avoid any slip-ups. I was panting from exhaustion and fear. I wasn't looking where I was going. I saw the boy all too late.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

The animal shot out of the lush, dense forest, not looking where it was going. The furry creature slammed into me at what felt like terminal both toppled the the ground, pain ripping throughout my body as I landed hard on my leg. _What the hell!_ I nearly screamed as the 'thing' stood back up and attempted to run. Demanding answers, I instinctively reached out and grabbed its ankle, just above the foot before it could go.

The thing hit the ground face first. It turned over to make eye contact with me, a look of mixed emotions on its face. It showed pain, confusion, and a look of absolute terror that burned into my vision. With what time I still seemed to have, I quickly attempted to identify the creature. It had a body that appeared human, except for more than a few things setting it apart. _A few strange things..._ The humanoid creature was covered in something that I could only describe as a coat of red-orange fur. Its face, or rather _muzzle_ was covered in white fur, which carried down the neck and into the shirt. Large green eyes met mine. The thing had its "ears" laid back in a threatening way. It had a horrified expression on its face.

"I have you n-!" someone said behind me, stopping short as he caught sight of me. I released my grip, and turned to face a man wearing a brown cloak. His hair was long and black, not to mention matted to his head by what appeared to be sweat. He held a sword in his right hand, and stood in a threatening fighting stance. He gripped his sword with two hands. _Of course._ I quickly drew my knife from my bag, as I released the grip on the creature.. The man only laughed as the creature began to crawl away. "What do you want!" I demanded. I could sense the panic in my voice.

The shorter, leaner man replied "I only want what's rightfully mine." He pointed his sword at the creature. At least where it had been. I didn't notice. I did notice the look of confusion that crossed his face. I could feel anger starting to build up. _This is definitely not a friendly encounter._ He was obviously referring to the creature which had now seemed to vanish. No matter what that thing was, I felt it in the tone of his voice. He didn't mean it kindly, as if the thing belonged to him. Not just as a pet or companion. The force and attitude behind his harsh words pushed me over my boiling point.. I could feel the heat start to build up inside of me. _He has got to be crazy. That, or I am: no matter._

Knowing nothing about the situation, I leapt, pushing with my good leg towards the man, visions of what felt like the previous night flashing through my mind. As if in slow motion, the man raised his sword to counter my knife. _Not quick enough._ I drove the knife into the man's chest. He shouted out in pain as we both fell, me on top of him.

He wasn't ready to give up yet. He brought the hand not still holding the sword up to my shoulder. It impacted hard, causing me to be thrown off of him and to the side. He drew the knife out of his chest, yelling out in pain. I attempted to turn and push off of the ground, but he was quicker to get onto his feet than I. My attempt to get up was to slow, as I was only to be caught by the man's knee. It impacted my side, knocking me onto my back once again.

I noticed the distance the man was standing away from me. I took the shot, and threw my healthy leg out as hard as I could, impacting his foot. He remained upright, but the shock of my hit gave me the temporary advantage. It gave me the time to stand up, and grab a nearby branch while doing so. He turned to bring his sword down upon me. I swung the branch up over my head to counter his hit, in hopes of saving myself. I heard the sharp sound of metal impacting wood at a high velocity. The wood didn't split, but it swallowed the sword in the process. I threw the branch with the sword still stuck in it over my head and to the side.

He shot out with his right hand. It felt amazing as his fist landed in my palm halfway- I had countered his hit. However, I was not prepared for his left hand to follow. It impacted my ribcage, emitting a sensation of pain. _That's gonna leave a mark. He's going to regret that._

I attempted to throw a punch in return. As my fist flew, I saw my hunting knife swing out from his previously unoccupied left hand. I attempted to dodge his sloppy form, but in doing so missed the punch. His swing with my hunting knife resulted to a slash wound on the right side of my ribs. The pain shot throughout my body in waves, and blood soaked my shirt. He threw out his elbow while I attempted to recover from the slice. My balance was thrown off, and I forcefully impacted the ground yet again. _I am better than this!_ He sat his knee across my chest, causing pain where the soreness from what felt like the previous night. He held my own knife to my throat.

"Any last words, foolis-" He began to say with a tone to his voice indicating that I wasn't to get out of this one easily, if at all; especially alive. His breath smelled rancid, and reeked of alcohol and poor personal hygiene. His words were cut short by an incredibly loud _**THWACK**_.

His body went limp, as he hunched over and fell to the ground. I followed shortly thereafter. My vision clouded over with blackness.


	3. Their Departure

_**Amber's POV:**_

As I impacted with him at what felt like the fastest I had ever ran, we both toppled over. I landed a few feet away from him, face down. _That would happen, only with my luck_. I attempted to push off of the ground like I had done before, only to feel a hand wrapping around my foot before I was able to get up all of the way.

I flipped over while the hand still held firmly on my ankle. The eyes that I stared into burned into my soul. The boys face had a look of horror on it; as if he had never seen a Keidran before. His face changed from a look of horror to a look of confusion. "I have you n-" was uttered from masters mouth. He looked in my direction, and spotted the boy with his grip on my ankle. He changed from a position of someone who had recently ran a long distance to one of a person ready to take on an opponent.

The boy turned around and met master's gaze. His hand slowly came off of my ankle as he reached into his strange dark blue backpack. He drew a knife. _This isn't going to end well, for all three of us._

I began to crawl away, to dazed and afraid to even stand. The boy demanded to know what my master had wanted. "I only want what Is rightfully mine!" was the reply that the boy earned. This seemed to spark something in him, as it seemed that his whole body tensed up. I could sense tension in the air. He leapt at my master, enveloping them into a battle.

I saw my opportunity, and thought about making a run for it, but something inside me told me to stay. I moved deeper into the dense forest, staying within earshot. _Or at least for me_ ; _after all, they don't have ears like this_ I thought as I reached up to my ears.

My ears were still matted flat against my head. I pried them off so they stood tall on their own. Something happened and the boy yelled out, seemingly in pain. I hid behind a nearby tree, sticking my head out to observe. The boy attempted to throw a punch, only to be countered by what seemed to be his own knife.

The fight was growing desperate. The one chance I had to be freed seemed to be now. No control spells, no cuffs. I crept over and grabbed what appeared to be a large metal branch with master's sword stuck in it. As soon as I felt the rough surface of the wood, I swung myself behind another tree; disappearing from view.

I heard another yelp of pain, this time I was unable to identify who it came from. I knew it was my turn to get in on the action when I heard the phrase: "Any last words, foolish boy" begin to emit from my master's mouth. The only thing, is that his words were stopped short in the middle of the word "foolish". I brought the branch across my body with all of my might. Master was sitting atop the boy with a knife to his throat. The branch impacted the side of my master's head, emitting a loud THWACK.

His body slumped over and fell off of the boy, to the side. The knife dropped in the process. The boy seemed to fall lifeless, just as my master had done moments before.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

I awoke to a tingling feeling emitting throughout my body. Everything felt numb. I tried to move my head, but it felt like my nerve endings had been cut. My eyes shot open, only to have my view blocked by someone kneeling over me. Whoever was there was wearing a brown/tan cloth shirt. As soon as I noticed the tuffs of red fur, I remembered what had happened, or rather what was happening.

The thing stood up and seemed to finish whatever it was doing. I felt the feelings and senses returning to my body. Yet for some reason I still laid still. The strange furred creature seemed to notice my slight movements. "Oh, you're awake." It said with a slight tone of nervousness in its voice. I was suddenly aware of something. The wet feeling of blood and pain had seemingly vanished from my body.

I quickly shot upright and onto my knees. I almost catapulted away from the strange creature. It's green eyes stared into mine. Something became apparent as two things caught my eye. What I was looking at seemed to be a she, not only by the sound of her voice, but by the two, well um, 'lumps' on her chest.

"Answers. Now" I demanded with a flat tone of voice, standing upright. She stood just as tall as I did, which wasn't much relief. "What do you mean by answers?" She replied, sounding rather confused. The look on her face mirrored her tone of voice.

"W- What are you?" I demanded, deepening the look of confusion on her face. "Are you telling me you have never seen a Keidran before, or just a fox?" She replied, seeming extremely puzzled. She took a step towards me, which I countered with a step in the other direction. "What exactly… _is_ a keidran?" I asked, still having no knowledge of the situation that i was in. "Well, you're looking right at one… correction, at one's chest." As soon as the last word left her mouth, I turned and looked at the ground, feeling the heat flow through my face as I began to blush.

 _Great. Now this is going to be awkward._ I turned back around and made direct eye contact with her this time. "Okay. I have a few questions that I am going to need answered. One: where am I right now?" I glanced around me, thinking hard of where I knew. What I saw matched nothing of my knowledge. "Well, I'd say somewhere along the border of tiger territory, judging from the nearest town."

That seemed to confuse me even more. _Tiger territory? There are more of these things? And their TIGERS?!_ Great. I tried a different approach. "Okay… **When** is it?" _Hopefully this will help get me some answers._ "423. Why?" She replied. _Okay, so I seem to have woken up in an alternate universe where animals can talk and walk on two legs, and it seems to be around 1500 years earlier than I would have expected. This seems to be going great._

"Okay then. Who are you?" I asked. I could feel myself began to become frustrated. "My name is Amber." I had given up. This was a battle of words that I could not win. I simply turned, and threw my bag over my shoulder. My everything still hurt, but not after what she did to me. I began to walk the way that Amber had came from. I heard what sounded like a Nya~ come from behind me, as the fox appeared by my side in an instant. "Where to?" She asked. I politely asked for her to stop following me, only to be greeted with a reply of: "Well, you killed master. So looks like I get to follow you now!" She said, sounding excited yet dreaded at the same time. I heard a click from my side. I turned to see the fox holding what looked like to cuffs linked together with a chain, all attached to a rope in the middle. The look on her face seemed like that of one worn by a child about to be spanked.

I grabbed the cuffs, and hurled them off into the distance. I had / had enough of this. The way the man claimed Amber to belong to him… The uncomfortable looking cuffs. I heard a sniffling sound from my side as I looked over to see Amber crying. _What did I do now?_ "What, did I do something wrong? Would you like me to retrieve the cuffs?" The words left my mouth: only just. I felt something impact my right shoulder, as Amber literally pounced on me, knocking me to the ground.

Amber buried her muzzle into my chest. _Well, this is weird…_ I just sat there, attempting to ignore the rocks stabbing into my back. She sat up, tears wetting her fur she looked me in the eyes. I gazed into her green eyes, not being able to tear my gaze away. She said "No! Never again! I am finally free, thanks to you!" She said, between sobs and waves of tears. She stood up, and apologized for the pounce. I followed, and stood upright again. "Really, I don't mind. Just warn me next time." Was all I could say, feeling my cheeks turn red.

"What do you mean, by free?" I asked. Amber looked at me as her expression turned neutral as she said flatly, "You're not from around here, are you?" I just replied with a glance to the ground. I didn't care where I was, or who I was anymore. _Wherever I am now is better than my old life._ I thought, as memories of previous events before I came to, well, wherever this is. I had nothing to go back to, other than jail. _Best I forget that, and fast._

Amber was the one to speak next, with a tone of sadness to her voice. "I have been slave to his family since, well, as long as I can remember. I have been mistreated and abused in many ways. It is thanks to you that I can finally escape him. Especially after I beat him to a pulp while you were out…"

"Well, that means that you are free to leave. You are free. Or whatever." I mentioned as I began to walk. She hesitated, then seemed to turn off the other direction. I secretly wished that she would stay with me. After all, these 'Keidran' seemed kind of cute. _Okay, fine! She is adorable._

As I continued down the path to which that Amber girl came from, I came upon another pathway. Me being me, I joined the pathway, curious to see where it went.

Minutes later, I came to a large stone archway. Beyond the archway stone pathways and streets sprawled outwards and forwards. There were people and Keidran all mixed in the town's streets and square. The interesting part is how all of the Keidran seemed to be bound in one way or another. Some were following certain humans, some were carrying things from place to place, but most of them were being pulled along forcefully by a rope.

 _What kind of cruel era is this? Slaves everywhere. Being sold and traded. Being forced to do things? This is wrong._ It all seemed like too much for me. I instinctively walked up to the nearest stand. _I guess that's what you could call it_. I spoke to the man behind it, who seemed to be quite, well, **large.** I spoke in as calm of a voice as I could. "Where can I find the nearest motel?" My words seemed to spark a look of confusion on the larger mans face.

 _Right. It's 423. These people aren't up to date with modern terms._ "Sorry, I meant to ask where the nearest inn is." The look of confusion disappeared from his face disappeared. "Down the road to the square, straight down the end of the road facing east." Was all he said. _Well, that's not very descriptive… oh well_. I followed my sights to what I believed to be the town square. So far I had managed to avoid most other humans and Keidrans alike.

I came to the building that displayed inn-like qualities, including a sign. Literally. I walked through the door and into what seemed like a bar. "How much for a room. Single bed will be all." I said to the woman who seemed to be sitting alone behind the counter. "Will you need any bath reservations tonight, sir?" The woman asked. I casually grabbed my ragged and torn shirt and sniffed it. "Yep. Make it a room and one bath?" She glanced at some papers on her desk attached to the bar. "That will be 7 silver coins, including room service." She replied coldly- it was obvious she was only interested in my money. I reached into my bag and held up a quarter and shook it ever so slightly. She caught sight of it and nodded. I fetched six more and slapped them down on the counter.

She greedily accepted the quarters and gave me two keys. A black key and a key that seemed to be made of wood. "The wooden one is for the room, the other for bath number 7. Good evening sir." She said, almost sensing my confusion. "Up the stairs and to the left and at the end of the hall." _Yet again, seems like she read my mind._ I went upstairs and to the room at the end of the hall and sure enough, the wooden key fit. I went inside, and settled in. I unpacked my bags, grabbed the back key, and began my search for bath number 7.


	4. Reuniting

_**Amber's POV:**_

As I stood there, finally catching my breath, I had no other choice. I had to get to work. I opened my masters left pocket and grabbed its contents. _Good thing he still carries these._ I held the 4 mana crystals, praying that they would be enough. _I need answers._ I set three of the mana crystals down, and held one in my outstretched palm. I focused my energy, and drew the mana from the crystal into me. I could feel the mana pulsating and coursing through my veins. I shuffled over to the boys other side (the one that master wasn't on) and began my work.

I placed my hand to his stomach, and cast the spell. I could feel the energy concentrating down into my left paw. I finished the spell and felt the mana flow through my fingertips and into his body. His wounds started to slowly heal. The gash along the side of his ribcage started to seal itself. The process finished, and drew the rest of the energy with it. I took another crystal from the pile of 3, and repeated the process. This time, I worked on his other wounds. His leg, which I had learned from observation, would need to be next on the list.

I had used the rest of the 2nd crystal's energy. I retrieved a third mana crystal from the pile, and yet again, repeated the spell. Everything was almost finished, because I could feel the flow of mana energy. I noticed his arm twitch as I finished healing the remaining parts of his body. His eyes seemed to open slightly for a second, and then close again. His eyes opened fully as he seemed to notice my appearance over him.

"Oh good, you're awake." I sighed nervously. _He seems like he has no idea who I am. Or what for that matter._ He jumped up onto his knees at the sight of me, and I could feel his eagerness to get away from me. He threateningly said to me, with a flat tone in his voice "Answers, now." He stood upright on his feet, seemingly confused over the fact that he was able to stand without the stick from earlier. He stood just as tall as I did, which by what I could tell, set us both at an unnerving pace. "What do you mean by answers?" I asked, apparently sounding rather nervous and stupid to him. He glared at me menacingly as if I had done something wrong.

Before I had even agreed to his questioning, which I didn't expect to have to, _Considering now, i'm technically his slave,_ he began to ask questions that seemed entirely out of place. However, only a few of these questions actually phased me. We had only just begun when he shocked me once again, this time asking something that rendered me dumbfounded.

"W- What are you?" He asked, confusing me. I replied in one of the more respectful ways that I had considered, which was "Are you telling me you have never seen a Keidran before, or just a fox?" He replied with keidran. _Is this guy crazy?_ He asked "What exactly… _is_ a keidran?" he asked. I stepped towards him, but he seemed to negate it by stepping in equal length the other direction.

"Well, you're looking right at one… correction, at one's chest." As soon as I said that, he turned and looked downwards, blushing from the answer. The questions continued. _He doesn't know that I belong to him now, does he…?_

Many explanations and emotions later:

 **[{Author's note: You have already read what goes here, I don't want to have to drag through what has already been explained and said. Carry on- I could've made you wait until tomorrow for anything new to happen in the story]}**

As Alex walked down the path, I still held the tears in my eyes. _How could he just set me free like that?_ That's when something crossed my mind: _I don't have anything to go back to. I was born a slave._ I knew that I couldn't survive out in the wild on my own, let alone be accepted into the fox tribe. It would never happen. And that's why I decided to follow Alex.

I stepped several feet to the side of the path, just so far that I would remain hidden. I could catch glimpses of the path every now and then, which made it perfect for me to remain hidden. I could also keep an eye on Alex from where I walked. He glanced to his side, and noticed what I had almost hoped he wouldn't- the pathway to the nearest town. At this rate, I would never be able to keep up with him.

 _How am I even going to explain this to him? Coming crawling back isn't exactly easy to explain…_ He was nearing the gate to the town. He stood and looked around. His gaze passed right by me, thankfully. I let out a sigh of relief. He walked straight onto the streets of the town. _Great. How am I supposed to follow him now?_ I stood behind the building that lined the outskirts of the town. How convenient, the town he was in had no outside walls. I watched his every move from in the alley ways and corners. He finished whatever he had been doing at the food stand, and headed towards the square. He seemed wary and cautious, yet observant of every Keidran that went through the square. Alex turned down another main road, and I instantly recognized where he was heading- _The Inn._ This was going to be difficult. He entered the inn, disappearing from sight and sound. _I can't go in there- i'd be taken in seconds! After all, I don't have any cuffs or ropes…_ I decided that there was no way in, other than by force. _And by force, I mean breaking in._ I was lucky that the left side of the inn was placed facing outwards, overlooking the forest, rather than the town. _I can go in through a window._

I snuck around to the back of the inn, searching for a low window. There were none. However, there appeared to be a vacant room. I scampered up a nearby tree. Luckily, the window was within reach, and it was unlatched. I reached out with my claws, and hooked them under the window. _Please be unlocked, Please be unlocked._ With what felt like extreme luck, it happened to be unlocked. If my claws had not been as sharp, I wouldn't have been able to pry it open. I snuck inside, walking over to the door. As I walked over to the door, I noticed what made my heart jump out of my chest. The room wasn't vacant. The bed sheets had been moved, and there was a bag in the corner. A dark blue bag, as a matter of a fact. His knife rested on a table on the other side of the room. But where was Alex?

 _Maybe he is in town somewhere. I guess i'll wait here for him._

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

As I lowered myself into the bath, I wondered if suggesting that Amber leave was the best idea. Where would she go? After all, Amber had said that she was born into slavery. I cleared the thoughts from my mind as I began what you do in the bath. _Do they have anything other than bar soap here?_ I finished bathing, dried off as best I could in the steamy bath area, and headed back to my room. I walked in and over to my bed, and what I saw nearly made me drop my keys. Amber was casually asleep. Not only was she asleep, but she was sitting on my bed. I hid in the closet and got dressed. _How exactly am I supposed to go about this?_ I walked over to Amber, and placed my hand on her shoulder. I shook her, calling out her name. She immediately snapped awake, and recoiled upon seeing the flat look on my face as her gaze caught mine.

"What are you doing here!" I demanded. She shrunk back towards the wall as the words came. "I don't have anywhere to go, other than here. I was born into slavery! I can't survive on my own!" She nearly shrieked. Her gaze fell down into her lap. "Keep it down, the inn owner will hear you."

Amber brought her gaze up to mine. "I just don't have anywhere to go. Since you technically still own me…"

 _Sigh. I guess._ "Fine. You can stay" I said flatly. I was kind of happy that Amber was back, because there was just something about her that made me glad she was here. "Thank you thank you thank you!" I was just about to open my mouth before Amber slammed into my face. She knocked me to the ground as she nuzzled into my neck. She was crying- _again._

It was getting late. I embraced her touch. After a few minutes, she got up, and crawled over to the corner of the room. "It's getting late. We should be getting to bed." _We… Heh._ "Wait. Why are you going over there?" I asked her. Amber replied with: "Well, you get priority over the bed." She finished what she said and laid down in the corner. "I may have been raised in an unfair family, but I at least know some decent manners. I'll take the floor." I walked over to Amber and picked her up. I brought her to the bed and set her down on the pillows. I moved the covers and placed her inside. She didn't fight it.

I put out the lantern and made sure everything was locked. I set out the spare blanket and set myself just to the side of the bed. She was already asleep by the time I had set up. _I wonder how long it's been since she has been in a bed._ I drifted off into a strained sleep, fighting thoughts and nightmares of the day's experiences.

 **Note: I have been watching E3 this morning, hyping ridiculously over Forza Horizon 3, so sorry I didn't upload this as early as I had hoped. I have been having trouble with working all 3 to 4 hours at night, so I will be uploading around noon daily. Easier and less stressful for me. Sorry, busy day, shorter chapter.**


	5. The Templar

_**Alex's POV:**_

The morning sun shone in through the bedroom window. With my luck, I was sleeping right where the rays of light landed. So I didn't exactly get to sleep in. For once, I actually awoke calmly. I wasn't worried about what my parents had to hold against me that morning, I wasn't worried about if I'd get breakfast, It was different. I sat up and took off my shirt. I grabbed a fresh one from my bag next to me.

That's when I remembered why I had slept on the floor. I glanded over, expecting to see Amber asleep on the bed, but instead I was greeted with the sight of a neatly made bed. The key to the room was gone, so if I were to leave, the room would have to be kept unlocked. I wasn't exactly keen on the idea, so I decided to wait.

I stood up, and checked that the blinds were closed and the door was locked. I grabbed a pair of pants and began to slip them on. I heard footsteps down the hallway. I quickened the rate at which I got dressed. The last thing I wanted was another awkward situation. I managed to just finish the tie on the baggy, ragged pants right as I heard a _click_ radiating from the door.

The door opened as amber stepped in. She appeared with two things: For one, she held two cups of water and some dried meat. After all, mine was seemed fairly old, even after it had just appeared in my bag. The other thing that I noted immediately made me drop my gaze. She had her cuffs back on again.

"What are you doing? I demanded as I walked over and undid the cuffs before she had even closed the door. "If I didn't wear them, I would've been taken away." _That's right. After all, most of her kind are… slaves._ I just sighed heavily as I bent over and set the cuffs partially under the bed. They sickened me, and I had just wanted them out of my sight as soon as possible. _I could throw them out the window,_ I jokingly thought. _That would be a bad idea._

We sat on the bed and split up the dried meat. Like I expected, Amber handed me the larger half of the meat. I grabbed hers and switched it with the one she had handed me. She was obviously hungry, because she didn't question why I had given her the larger portion.

Before I had even taken two bites my meal, Amber was almost already finished with hers. Not to mention I had given her the largest portion of the meal. _These things really are vicious… just like the real foxes._ Yet, still kind of cute; aside from the fact that she could tear my throat out at any moment if she really wanted.

Amber stood up. "Im off to get cleaned up. Maybe you could help wash my back. You smell like you could use a bath." She noted as she grabbed the key to the bath. _It's only been one night. Do I really smell that bad?_

We both stood in front of the door. Amber handed me the key to bath number 7, hinting that I open the door. I opened the door as the steam flooded out. Luckily, the steam was thick as we entered the room. I walked to the other side of the long bath. "Turn around." I told Amber. I undressed as quickly as I could and sat into the bath, bringing my cloth " _Towel"_ with me. I turned around as amber got undressed and got in, and when I turned around I almost lost it.

As amber brought her head up after bringing it under water, she looked absolutely hilarious. Her ears drooped down the the side. All of her fur was matted down with water, and her muzzle seemed to stick out further than ever. She glared at me as I lost my quiet attitude to waves of laughter.

"It's not funny! I don't want to be here as much as you do!" She yelled across the steamy bath at me. I couldn't stop laughing at her. I laughed even harder when her face reddened and her gaze flattened even more. I started to calm down as her attitude started to change from embarrassment to sadness. I felt kinda bad for Amber. Either way, she looked hilarious after being doused in water.

She cupped her hands full of water, and threw the water across the bath. It hit me right in the face. The water was concentrated with soap, and I had just opened my mouth to apologize. It tasted horrible. Amber giggled uncontrollably as we engaged into a water war.

By the end of it all, the bath was half empty and we were both soaked. _At least were clean._ I stood up out of the bath, towel still on. "Turn around." Amber did as I asked, and turned around. I grabbed one of the spare towels from the shelf and dried off. I wrapped myself in another and went to the door.

"I'll be waiting in the room." I unlocked the door to the bath and walked to the room. I left the bath key with Amber and I took the room key. I left the room unlocked. I had just finished getting dressed when Amber walked in. She wasn't wearing a top.

When she walked in, I immediately turned around and started digging through my bag, pretending to be looking for something. "What's the matter?" She asked. It made matters worse when she came over and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Well, for one, you're topless…" I said flatly. I didn't lift my gaze from my backpack. "What's the worry? Im covered in fur anyways." _She does have a point._ I stood up and made eye contact with her. "We should probably get going. After all, we should get you home." As I told her that, her ears shot upright.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

 _Did he just say "take me home"?_ "You don't understand, I was born into slavery. Id never be accepted into the tribe. How did you even know there was a fox tribe?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously. "Well, you had mentioned tiger territory, so I suspected that there must be a fox territory." _Well he is right, after all._ "Well then, where to?" He asked me. _He has a point. We don't have plans to go anywhere. Considering we're traveling together._ "I don't know. If i'm not a slave, then I don't want to be anywhere near a human city. Let's get out of here."

I knew about Lyn'Knoll. I didn't think that he would be interested in ever going there. We had only been traveling together for a few days. I almost knew that somewhere along the line, he would abandon me. I hoped he wouldn't, I liked being around him. He gave me a sense of security, ever since he killed my old slave master a few days back to save me. I needed him. _Without him, I would be sold as a slave again._

As the thought finished, a loud knock sounded at the door. " **Open up immediately!"** Someone shouted through the door. They started hitting the door, as if they were trying to break in. Alex grabbed his bag and whispered "Go. get out the way you came in." I stopped. _The way I came? Oh! The window!_ I crept towards the window, remaining quiet. _Maybe they'll think we're not here._ " **We know you're in there!"** Came another shout from the other side of the door. Alex had gotten his bag on.

I was first. Alex helped me out the window and helped me jump to a nearby tree. He followed. I glanced back as he jumped to the tree. The door burst open as 4 men burst in. _Templar…? What are they doing here?_

I got to the ground first, Alex followed. One of the guards shouted something about "freeing a slave". We started running away from the town. A blue flurry of light shot past to my left, impacting the ground at a high velocity. A small explosion shot dirt from the ground. We kept running. Another two shot over our heads. We both split up as the two balls of light impacted in front of us, erupting in explosions. I was knocked to the ground by the explosion. A splinter of wood impacted my right shoulder, finding its way through my fur coat and into my skin. The pain tore through my arm. Alex had managed to stay upright. He turned around to his left, and caught sight of me on the ground. He shot towards me, moving faster than I had ever seen him.

He suddenly turned to the direction where we had came from. I was still in the process of recovering from the explosion and the pain tearing from my arm. "Amber, look out!" He screamed as the world around me began to light up blue. Everything moved in slow motion as the spell cast by one of the Templar neared me. Alex was 30 feet away… 20 feet away… 15 feet away… The ball exploded, and everything went white. A sharp ringing came to my ears. I felt the warmth of the explosion. _This one was larger than the last._ Everything went black.

 **Sorry about the late upload, I started working on the chapter late last night. I was up until around 2:00 A.M, and woke up around noon. Sorry about being 2 hours late, I may or may not take a break tomorrow. (Just kidding, not going to leave you on a cliffhanger). I will try to do better, but working on as a single unit is quite difficult, and I was out of ideas for this chapter. I should be able to get chapters out easier now that I know what I want to do for the story. Leave an idea in a review if you want to.**


	6. His Discovery

_**Amber's POV:**_

My vision began to restore, and I could see what was around me. I must have been out for only a few seconds, because what had appeared to have stopped the explosion was still in front of me. Someone had cast a spell that created a shield. Alex was the only person around. So who had cast the spell. I looked from the fading shield to Alex, only to see him unconscious on the ground. The rain of fireballs had stopped. I mustered all of my possible strength, ignoring the pain in my shoulder.

I stood up and ran to Alex. I placed my paw on his face, and only slightly extended my claws. The pin-prick feeling was just enough to jerk him from his unconscious state. When he woke and sat up, he glared at me. His eyes widened as he noticed that we were still in the same place. "Comon, we have to keep running!" He said as he fully stood up. We both continued to run in the same direction as before. The spells had stopped, but upon glancing behind me, It was apparent that the Templar had assumed chase and drawn their swords.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

"Keep running! Their spells may have stopped but they're chasing us!" Amber screeched beside me. _Great. Not only are there humanoid animals here, but there are 'Templars' here. Not to mention I think I just made a shield._ I turned around and sure enough, our attackers were pursuing us. There were four of them, all of them dressed in white cloth robes with swords in their hands. Their 'cloaks' all had the same strange emblem on them.

Amber seemed to be lagging behind. Casting the spell to save her drained my energy at first, but I had regained it now. The piece of shrapnel in Amber's arm was catching up with her. She was losing energy. I ran over to her and picked her up. She squealed with surprise as I picked her up along with the pace as we began to lose our pursuers. The men were out of our sight, but they were still on our trail. Another few minutes of tireless running, and we had lost them.

That's when I remembered- the crystals that Amber had brought. She had mentioned something about magic when I asked about them a while back. I retrieved two of them and set her against a tree. She gave me a questionable look when I reached into my bag and held them out to her. "You had mentioned something about magic being associated with these. You would have left them behind, but I figured they would be of some use." She took them and began her work.

I still preferred to turn the other way and occupy myself in one way or another, considering she was still topless, _even if she IS covered in fur, it's still strange to me._ I checked our surroundings, focusing on every noise or hint of movement that sounded. Nothing seemed to be nearby. All seemed clear. I turned back around to see that Amber had not only finished healing herself, but she had also fallen asleep. _Comon. It's not even getting late yet!_ "Amber… Wake up." I shook her lightly. She just turned over. _Ill let her get some rest. After all, it appears that casting magic and running that kind of distance can really tire you out._

A few hours later, I decided it fit to wake Amber up. _Those men are probably looking for us. All of that over something about 'freeing a slave?'_

"Amber. We need to get going." I said soothingly as I shook her awake. Apparently I spoke a little too soothingly, because I could see her face turning a slight shade of red through the white fur of her muzzle.

"You've been out for around an hour now. We need to get somewhere safe." I told her as she stood up. She stood still for a moment, expressing no emotions. She suddenly jumped towards me, knocking me to the ground. _I need to learn that these things still pounce._ She nuzzled my neck as she spoke. "Thank you so much for saving me. I didn't even know you knew magic." _Oh great. Here we go._ "Look, I have already told you- where I come from, magic doesn't exist. I don't know how I did what I did. I'm just glad you're safe." Amber slowly brought her head up. _These pounces always seem to land me in the most uncomfortable places on the ground._ What happened next surprised me.

Before getting up, she brought her lips to the side of my face for a brief moment. Just a kick kiss on the cheek. She jumped up and almost commanded me. "Comon. You're right, we need to find someplace safe. After all they are probably following us." I zipped close my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

Amber seemed to shrug of what had just happened as nothing. I decided it best to not mention it as my I could feel my face turning even redder. "By where we are, the nearest town is East- other than the one we just escaped from. Let's head NorthEast." She suggested. I simply nodded and stood by her side.

"So how exactly did you cast that spell?" She questioned. I didn't have any other excuses, so I answered truthfully. "I don't know. I was worried I wouldn't reach you in time, and I had began to wish for a shield or something to save you. And sure enough, it worked. Not sure if the claws were necessary though."

"Hey! I could have slapped you! At least it worked!" She giggled back at me. I playfully poked her. She turned and placed her paw on my shoulder. It was too late before I realised she was going to do it again. She just ever so slightly extended her claws, causing me to flinch. We spent the rest of the day walking and trying to find somewhere to set up camp.

We kept finding ways to annoy each other. She would use her claws. I would flick her ears or poke her nose. She hated it when I messed with her ears. I equally hated when she pricked me with her claws. That's why we spent the rest of the day messing with each other.

At one point Amber took my legs out from underneath me. I playfully reached out and pulled her own while I was still recovering. We both rolled around laughing for a few seconds. _I haven't had this much fun in, well ever._

We eventually came to a small mound of earth. The side of the mound was missing, so it seemed fit as a back to our camp. I opened my pack and dug to the very bottom. The small tent sat contently at the bag, being unused except for my first night. I walked over to the cut part of the bank, and started to set up the tent with its back to the wall.

I was surprised by how quickly I was able to set it up. After all, I had been kicked out by my parents enough, so I at least knew how to setup a tent. I grabbed my flint and steel. I had found a steel in town that I was given for tent was setup, and Amber was staring into the fire peacefully.

I decided it was time for dinner. As I strayed from the camp to the nearby river, I thought of my past life. I was almost glad to escape it. The thoughts of the two men who _I killed_ came to mind. It made me shiver, but I shrugged the thoughts off. I finally came to the river, or rather a pond attached to it.. My knife wasn't going to be any help, so I sharpened a stick into a spear. The river was filled with many different kinds of fish.

I lunged the spear into the water. _Miss._ I aimed again. _Miss._ Over and over my shots missed, until I remembered something- _water distorts light._ I tried aiming again, this time a little higher than the fish. I lunged the spear. All of the fish around scattered as the point found its mark. I pulled the fish out on the spear. It seemed smaller out of the water than it did in the water. I had gotten it lucky. Around half an hour later, I brought back 3 fish. It wasn't much, but I would go back.

I walked into camp to see that Amber was now fully- err… 'unclothed'. She was rummaging through my bag. When she heard me coming, she turned to look at me. She had one of the nearly spoiled fruit in her mouth. I immediately started laughing, because she looked ridiculous. "What is it this time!" She glared at me as she pulled the fruit out of her mouth.

"Nothing, you just look so funny like that." She at my reply. It still felt weird with her being naked and all. Either way, she was covered in fur. Apparently it was normal for these 'Keidran'. When I walked through the town many of them weren't wearing anything beside cuffs and ropes.

"Well, I brought back fish." I held one up. I was planning to cook it, but apparently Amber felt otherwise. She reached out and grabbed the fish from me with lightning speed, and immediately started to eat everything on the outside. I handed her the second fish, to which she did the same. The white fur on her muzzle was stained with blood by the time she finished the first one. _Just another reminder of how vicious she can really be_.

I gutted the last fish and discarded the waste. I speared it and held it over the flame, waiting for it to be edible. Amber came over and rested her head on my shoulder. The sun was getting low, and she was obviously still tired and sore from the events from earlier in the day. We just sat as I ate my fish, my arm around her.

I was enjoying my time with Amber, even If I hadn't known her for very long. I finished my fish and picked her up. Though I wasn't the most muscular, I still had no trouble carrying her. I set her in the tent and brought up a blanket that I had taken from the town. I laid it on her and left the tent. I settled against the bank and brought by bag to my side. I held it towards me for warmth as the night settled. Something rustled in the tent, but I didn't seem to notice as I drifted off to sleep.

 **Note: I may be introducing more characters, but I haven't decided.**


	7. Kayla

_**Amber's POV:**_

I had no trouble getting to sleep at first. But shortly after I drifted off on Alex's shoulder, I woke up in the tent. The images of the earlier day still haunted me. _How did Alex figure out how to cast a shield spell? Even without mana crystals._ I opened the tent and went to check on Alex, mostly because I wasn't able to catch any sleep. He was resting against the bank with his strange pack close to him. He was shivering, because he no longer had the warmth of the fire to sustain heat. I groggily grabbed the blanket from the tent and snuggled up with him. Despite the cold surrounding us, his body heat was soothing as I finally became capable of drifting off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

I woke up after a surprisingly peaceful sleep. I was surprised at how well I had slept until I noticed a warmth pressed against my back. Confused, I turned around. I was met face to face by a sleeping fox. _Great. Amber is sleeping under the same blanket as me… At least she brought it from the tent._

The warmth of Amber's body next to mind tempted me to drift back to sleep, but I decided it best not to. After all, If we woke up at the same time that might be awkward. I traveled to the same slow-moving area of the river that had formed into a pond. I had saved my spear from yesterday just in case. It took me around half of an hour to catch 4 decently sized fish. I had guessed by yesterday that Amber preferred her fish raw, so I only cooked two. I was prepared to give up my smaller portion of what was cooked if she wanted it cooked.

I light the fire using the steel I had bought in town

She was obviously awoken by the scent of the fish, because within seconds of me having brought it back she was already up and my my side. As expected, she chose the raw fish, which I had already gutted and prepared for her.

The only difference this time was that she waited politely for me to finish cooking before she swallowed hers in a matter of seconds. I finished mine, then I asked about last night. "So… about the whole sleeping arrangement thing…" I said. Amber's face started to glow red beneath the white fur on her muzzle. "I couldn't sleep…" she muttered. I asked "What, can you speak up?" I added a little of a playful tone to my voice. It seemed to put her on edge. "I couldn't sleep." She said a little louder. _I didn't mind, really…_ I was tempted to say out loud, but I didn't want her to think that I was into her. But, I said it anyway. "Well, I didn't mind, really." I replied sheepishly, as my face turned red. Her ears shot upright. "What, what, it was really cold!" I half yelled. She giggled at me. I reached over and flicked her ear. She returned it with a playful shove. She had made sure to have her claws out to deliver that pin-prick feeling that I absolutely hated.

Something rustled nearby. I made eye contact with Amber. The look of happiness had disappeared from her face, and it was quickly replaced by a look of worry. _Let's hope this is nothing._ I nodded towards the bank next to the tent. Amber got the hint and crawled over to the bank, hiding herself. I reached into my pack and grabbed my knife.

Suddenly, what appeared to be a throwing knife shot out from one from somewhere. My reaction time was my only saving grace, when I ducked and dodged the knife out of pure luck. I whipped around and made eye contact with what appeared to be a wolf. Not only was it a wolf, but it was a wolf 'keidran'.

It held another throwing knife in one hand, and a short sword in it other hand. I was only able to identify it as wolf by what I could see of its face. Luckily, it only seemed like a petty thief. It charged me, _or rather, she._ She lunged forwards swiftly. I sidestepped and she tumbled to the ground. Before I had the chance to turn around, she slashed out with one of his knifes, cutting through my leg.

I nearly doubled over from the slash, but instead I threw my leg out and impacted her stomach. She was only partially onto his feet, but her progress was quickly reset by the impact.

She threw another one of her knives at me, which I was not quick enough to dodge. The knife slashed my arm, almost making me drop my knife. I brought it forwards and slashed through her robes and into her fur on her arm. She yelped out in pain. She planted one foot behind him and launched at me.

Her body impacted me and we both fell over backwards, her on top of me. I pushed as hard as I could, and threw the thief off of me. That's when an idea came to my head. I grabbed my bag and told her "Just take what I have and go." She held his larger sword and approached me. I held out the bag a few inches from me, one hand rustling through it. "Just give me the whole bag!" She threateningly yelled at me. My plan sprang into action. I drew the pistol that I had taken from the man without the mask when after my parents death. _I knew this would be useful one day._ I brought the gun down on the thief's head with all of my strength. She fell into an unconscious heap on the ground.

Amber came out from her hiding spot. "Was that really necessary?" She eyed the wolf on the ground. "Well, it was this, or i'd have to kill her. That or she'd kill me." Amber's look softened as if that was the answer she was looking for. I searched her, and came up with 2 convenient mana crystals. Amber took them from my hands and cast the healing spell. We finished searching the wolf, and found 2 hidden daggers, and some gold and silver.

We tied her arms and legs, and then propped her up against the bank, next to the tent. Amber clawed her arm in a not-so-playful way, which caused it to snap awake. She immediately tried to stand up and launch herself at me, only to fall over forwards and immediately land flat on her face. I turned her over and asked "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Her reply was not what I had suspected. "You have quite a bounty on your head there sir. Black magic, murder, and freeing a slave. You're a wanted man.- The name is Kayla." I looked over at Amber and she only shrugged in reply. I whispered over to her "What should we do with her?" I only earned another shrug for a reply. I whispered again to Amber. "Where's the nearest trail? We can dump it there." I turned to the thief, and right as I was going to say something he told me "I wouldn't suggest that. After all, I know your whereabouts."

 _This is getting on my nerves… okay._ "Well, then what do you expect us to do with you?" I asked. "Let me travel with you. After all, I don't exactly have anything to go back to."

I put my hand on Amber's shoulder and nodded towards the edge of our campsite. She got the idea and followed me. Once we were out of earshot, I whispered to Amber "Should we let her travel with us? After all, she just tried to kill me." She sighed and gave the reply I didn't want. "It should be fine if Kayla travels with us. I have a plan- we keep her hands tied." As soon as amber said that, someone patted my back. "That won't be needed." Came a familiar voice behind me. Kayla was standing behind me with her arms folded over his chest.

I told her "Fine. But anything suspicious and you're out." Kayla yelled out with joy, maybe a little too enthusiastically, for she earned strange glances from Amber and I.

 **Keep in mind I may add another character later on, but it all depends. Sorry about the shorter chapters (around 1750 words) its easier and less stressful for** me.


	8. Keidran Tongue

_**Kayla's POV:**_

I yelled out with joy, maybe a little too enthusiastically. The one referred to by "Alex" had seemed to accept my into the group. I earned strange glances from both of them. Alex whispered something in Amber's ear about trust. They both started walking, and motioned for me to join them.

I turned around to Amber and asked her "So, how did you meet Alex?" I asked her, switching to Keidran. Amber stopped short in her tracks for around half of a second, then resumed her walking. "It's complicated. Lets just say he saved me from my previous master." _That always seems to be the case…_ I asked her something I feared would hit her hard; "So why did he free you?" Amber flinched at the question. "From where he comes from, slavery highly illegal." _Did she just say_ _ **highly illegal?**_ _And 'where he comes from'?_ "He isn't from around here from what I have gathered. He has made it clear he wishes to forget it." Amber spoke again, keeping to Keidran. Alex turned and gave us a confused look.

"Okay, what the heck are you two talking about? I could hear my name, but I have no idea what is happening." He scratched the back of his head while he walked backwards, switching his gaze between us.

Amber spoke up first. "Its Keidran. It's our native tongue, I never thought It would come up: considering my old master forbid it." Alex just shook his head and frowned. "Could you not use it to talk about me?" He asked both of us at the same time. I replied with "I was just asking about how you two got together." _Whoops… that came out wrong._ Both Amber and Alex stopped walking and stared blankly. "I-I didn't m-mean it like that! It came out wrong" I stammered.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid! I need to earn their trust. This has been all too easy._

After around half of a minute, both of their emotions had calmed down. I turned to amber and said, in slowly in Keidran, "Watch this; he's gonna freak." Alex shot his head around and glared at both of us. Both Amber and I started laughing uncontrollably. Alex's face turned a shade of bright red as we began to calm down. "It's not funny!" He half yelled, which brought our laughter back up to the surface.

Several minutes after the red faces and laughter, we had all calmed down. Amber placed her hand on Alex's shoulder, and something was brought to my attention. Everything about Alex seemed perfect. He was skinny, but not out of shape. He wasn't muscular, but he wasn't weak. He looked _hot._ _No, No, No!_

I fought the thoughts that were flowing through my mind.

Amber told Alex with a tone of sincerity "If you want, sometime I can teach you." Alex froze in place. "That would be nice… he said, lowering his voice to almost a whisper.

 **NOTE: My family plans to go camping this weekend fell through, as no campsites were available. So, we stayed home- I still decided to take a 36 hour break to do some other things, but I am starting the story again 24 hours earlier than expected- sorry about the short chapter; I could have left you waiting until tomorrow ;)**


	9. Amber's Problem

_**Amber's POV:**_

I leaned over to Alex. Kayla was walking on his other side, obviously attempting to listen in on what I was telling him. "I really don't trust this 'Kayla' Wolf. She seems suspicious." "I don't really have any issues with her. Other than the Keidran thing." Was his reply. "Hey! I told you I could teach you." I yelped back at him. I pricked him with my claws. Alex glared over at me, deciding against messing with me.

"Amber!" Kayla yelled up at me in Keidran. I nodded towards Alex, who had clearly twitched at the word. Kayla got the hint, and decided against speaking Keidran. She switched to human and asked me "Where are we going?" It took a moment for me to think of it, but then I remembered. I had only told Alex that I had a plan. _After all- according to Kayla, were wanted._ "I was thinking of going to the Basitin Islands. After all, it doesn't appear that there are any safe places here." Kayla brought her eyes to mind and I instantly understood what she was implying. "No. not there." She simply brought her eyes back to the trail ahead of her. Alex glanced back, not daring to question what had just been mentally-mentioned.

"The nearest port is a few miles away. We should make it there by tomorrow." I said, speaking mostly to Alex. "Why are we going to a port? For one, where are we going from there, and two, you forget; apparently freeing slaves isn't exactly something that earns you a good reputation." _Sigh. He has a point. We are going to need to be careful._ "There is a place that I know, called the Basitin Island. They are strange creatures, but it will get us away from the _Templar_ for some time."

"Well, you seem to know your way around this world better than I do…" He replied. Kayla looked confused, but was quickly reminded that he was 'not from around here.' _I still don't understand why he refuses to talk to me about it._

The sun was getting low, and we had been walking for several hours. We were running out of topics for Idle conversation, so we decided upon a clearing to set camp for the night.

Kayla noted while I was unpacking my supplies, that I in fact only had one tent. She offered to take the ground, and refused otherwise. Alex even offered for her to take the tent.

 _This is an argument that I cannot win._ I sheepishly gave Kayla my blanket, having lost. I went and found what I could food wise. While we set up, Alex left to find food. He returned with two squirrels and some berries. Half of which I knew he shouldn't eat. He handed both Kayla and I a squirrel, letting us decide what to do with it. Kayla cooked hers, strangely. I helped Alex discard the inedible berries, and he took those for himself.

The tent was set up, my stomach was full, and the light from the world around us had disappeared. I was growing tired. Kayla had already drifted off to sleep, her ears hanging limply on her head. I dragged Alex to the tent, where he huddled to one side. I shifted my way to the other, and we drifted into a silent sleep. Something in my mind woke me, and I awoke to find Alex and I had drifted to the middle of the tent. His body was so warm as I pressed myself against him from behind, and it only propelled me into a deeper slumber.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

I awoke during the middle of the night to find that Amber, along with me, had found our way to the middle of the tent together. Amber was cuddling me from behind when I woke up. I considered attempting to get away, but the warmth of her body pressed against mine was too comforting, especially in the chill of the night. I hoped Kayla was doing okay, though she had our only blanket.

The warmth of Amber's body pressed against mine pulled me back into a deep slumber.

When we woke again, something seemed off. The fire was lit, and there was a scent in the air. I pried myself away from Amber's grasp and left the tent. Kayla was sitting next to the fire. She stared into the fire, then I had noticed the knife in her hand. I could tell by the items in her other hand that she had been sharpening it. Either way, under the circumstances that we met, I was set on ease.

Kayla sensed it, and lowered her muzzle as she set the knife down. I turned to the fire, and saw some assorted meats cooking on sticks hung over it. A squirrel and some fish was all that was there, and a few fish were set aside- still raw.

"Where did you get these?" I asked, eyeing the fish. Kayla noted "There was a river nearby. I only had to walk a few feet before these things picked it up." Kayla reached up and grabbed both of her ears and held them down to her head. She looked young, but i'm not one to judge- considering I had only been around their species for only a week or so now.

Amber woke up not too late after I did, and quickly joined us by the fire. Once Kayla and my food had finished, Amber devoured what we had set aside for her. Both the Fox and the Wolf were finished much before I was, but that was expected.

We began to pack up camp, that was when I noticed something. Kayla kept allowing her eyes to drift to her knife as if planning something. I knew something could be coming, but I didn't know what.

 _No! You can't do that to them! They're the only friends you've ever had. Yet then… I could take their belongings and run. Something about it seems tempting. I almost had him yesterday, If he hadn't hit me in the face with that thing. They have been good to me- I don't need to do this…_ _ **We will see.**_

Kayla shook her head subtly, as if denying an arrangement of thoughts running through her mind. Something just didn't seem right. Kayla stopped eyeing the sharpened knife, until she suddenly reached for it. I immediately drew mine, expecting the worse. The Wolf held the knife, and threw it far into the woods- _whatever she had been planning…_

Camp was finished, so we set on our way- following in Amber's footsteps through the dense jungle. I knew we were going to the nearest port, and going to some nearby islands- free from Templar control. _No Templar… That's enough to get me to follow._

I also knew it was several miles, but I didn't expect to reach it the same day. That's when it hit me- _Kayla- is she a slave? After all, I haven't seen her owner. Is she illegally free, like Amber?_

"Hey Kayla?" I asked. Kayla turned her head around, her muzzle almost hitting me across the face from her walking position to my side. "So, are you a… slave?" I questioned. She turned to face me, glaring into my eyes. _I take that as a strong no…_

She sighed and replied "I was once. I am not free, but rather a former escapee of my master." Something in her voice changed on the last two words- I couldn't tell, but I sensed a tone of hostility in her voice- so I decided to leave it alone.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

It had only began. Alex's scent was much stronger now, and I felt drawn to him. I wanted to hold him close to me. _How am I supposed to explain this to him? Ill ask Kayla._ I stood beside her as we walked, and quietly asked her in Keidran "Hey Kayla. There is something I have to tell Alex. It's happening." She turned her muzzle towards mine, a look of confusion crossing it. "What do you mean?" I glared into her brown eyes, and harshly noted " _It!"_ Kayla's gaze immediately snapped upwards.

"That's going to be awkward…" Alex glanced back, not daring to question the conversation going on between us- it was best he didn't. I whispered this time. "I'm going into heat, and I have to find a way to tell Alex. This. Is. Going. To. SUCK."

 **NOTE: My parents are still not at the best of terms, and unless certain circumstances are met, I may not be seeing my step dad again- If the circumstances aren't met, I may be a week or so relocating. I hope I do get to stay, I am currently home: which means that I should be able to get back onto a somewhat normal schedule (this is an early release). Weird thing- I was playing a game earlier, and someone recognized me by my same username!**


	10. Finally There

_**Alex's POV:**_

Amber and Kayla were in Keidran, yet again. I had avoided mentioning it, but I think they got the point that it annoys me. Amber skipped up to my side, a look of worry crossing her face, before she forced it out. "Alex, I have something I need to tell you." We both stopped walking, Kayla nearly slamming into Amber. "Alex, don't freak out, but something that happens to us every once in a while is happening... i'm going into heat."

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

Alex turned to me, obviously confused at the statement. Then, something clicked in his head. His eyes snapped wide for a second, then went back to their normal state. He sighed and asked, a panicked tone in his voice. "So that happens with you guys… I half expected this at one point or another." I replied "Well, that's somewhat of a relief."

Just standing next to him, I was sort of drawn to him. I took a step away. "Sorry. It's hard to control the… urges. It's been going on for around two days now. I didn't want to have to tell you."

Alex walked to me and rested his arms on my shoulders. "Whatever it is, no matter how difficult, I'm sure we can get through it." His words caused a heat to flow into my face. _Screw it._ I grabbed Alex's face, being careful of the claws, and pulled his lips to mine.

We sat there for a few seconds, letting it sink it. So many different emotions were flowing through my mind. I was the first to pull away, a look of shock still visible on his face. Kayla said from the side, "That's not something you see every day…" Alex turned to her, and said flatly "What?" "Kayla looked back in slight amusement, replying, "A Keidran kissing someone, let alone a human."

A warmth yet again came to my face, and upon a short glance, his face was a shade of red. The feeling of the kiss came back, deepening the feeling. _No! I will not let this control me._ I shook the thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand. _We are close to the nearest town. Hopefully the news of us hasn't made it there yet._ As if almost reading my mind, Alex asked "How close are we to the nearest town?" Before I could reply, Kayla answered "We should be able to make it there by nightfall."

The sun was getting low, and I just wanted to be off of this island.

We reached the outside edge of the town, half expecting to be charged by Templar. Luckily, none approached us. Straight away I asked "Alex, can you go find some cuffs? Alex found them, and handed them to me. He understood what I was doing, but asked "Is this really necessary? And what about Kayla?" as he helped me slip the cuffs on, leaving room for them to be slipped off.

"I'll wait here. Just go find some other cuffs. Let's get this over with." Was her reply. Alex led me into town while Kayla stayed behind to wait. We went to a supply shop, and forked up the coins required for the bindings. We also conveniently stopped to buy a few mana crystals. On our way back, a thought crossed my mind. _What If the Templar were really here? No. They couldn't be… could they?_

 _ **Kayla's POV**_

 _This should work…_ I clawed my way up the nearest tree, avoiding drawing attention to myself. It was uncomfortable, but It would have to do for the time being. The traitorous thoughts that had been crossing my mind less and less, but it was still tempting. _If I were to, it would be soon. After all, where can I hide on a boat?_

Suddenly, a sight coming down the pathway nearly made me lose my footing. My claws dug furiously into the surrounding branches, trying to keep myself in the air. _Of all the people- Templar._ They were few, but armed with swords and reserve mana crystals. _I have to warm them…_ Being careful to not arouse any suspicion, I carefully lowered myself from the tree. _I can't be seen like this! Without any cuffs?_ I waited until Alex and Amber were close.

I threw the small rock, and Alex's head tore away from Amber's gaze, facing towards where I was. _Or rather, where the templar were coming from._ As soon as Alex caught sight of the approaching men, he immediately pulled Amber away from the street.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

Amber hissed at me, unexpectedly- especially from a Fox. I nodded silently toward the pathway. Amber slowly moved her head out, and caught sight of the approaching men. The look on her face confirmed what I had thought to have recognised- _Templar._

 _We need to find Kayla. I suspect that rock to have been her._ Suddenly, something touched me from behind. I drew my knife, and to my relief Kayla was standing behind me. She had an innocent smile on her face, not even flinching when I instinctively drew my knife. "So. Templar are here." "Yeah. I had gathered. Thanks for the rock, by the way." I replied sarcastically. The smile didn't leave Kayla's face. "No problem!" She said back happily. It set me on edge by how she didn't seem worried. "You are seriously concerning me. Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" I asked, confused. "Well, for one, I like to see some good action. And two, I have a way out of here."

"Oh, really?" I asked, half surprised. She led us away from the side of the building, snapping her cuffs on loosely. _Sigh. Guess it's the only way around._ Kayla lead us through town, nearly pulling me over on several occasions. We earned several nervous glances, including a "Well, it's not everyday that you see a wolf dragging its master around town."

We came to the docks in only a few short minutes- yet again, reminding me of my old life and how much smaller these towns really are. I cringed at the thoughts of my old life, my memories still haunting me.

Kayla came to another Keidran and its master near the edge of the docks. He asked something In Keidran, and earned a short reply from Kayla. They sat for a few seconds in silence. The male keidran eyed me suspiciously, looking Amber and I up and down. Kayla drew his attention back to her, speaking rapidly.

He nodded towards the man holding his ropes, and Kayla slowed her tone. After about a minute of aimless eavesdropping, Kayla turned back. Alright, we're all set. "What- how?" I asked. "I told you, I have connections." Amber had rested her head on my shoulders. "We are in public…" I whispered. Her head immediately shot off of my shoulder before anyone could see.

 _I still don't like the thought of these 'basitins'._

Fast forward several hours, we began to board the boat. We stood on the deck while Kayla finalised our rooms. That's when I remembered- _If i'm sharing a room with Amber… and this heat thing…_ As if sensing my thoughts, she leaned on my shoulder and reassured me. "Don't worry. I should be able to control this." She said confidently. Kayla strided over and informed us of our rooms. The boat was finally leaving port. From the side of the boat, we heard shouting. I recognised the source of the noise immediately as the men that had chased us out of the inn. They all had their swords drawn, and were angrily sprinting down the docks towards the boat. _Lucky._ The boat was far away that they could do nothing but stand and yell. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice.

Amber and I headed below deck to our room. According to her, this journey would be a long few weeks. We strode down the stairs, and down a long hallway that seemed to span the entire length of the stopped just short of the staircase to the next floor down. When in our room, I questioned Amber. "So, what's with this 'heat' thing?"

She was obviously uncomfortable with the subject, but decided it fit that I was to know. "You obviously know what it is. We go through it every few weeks to months, but it hasn't been to bad for me lately. But, it's harder when you're around your partner." Amber's hands immediately shot up to her mouth. I could feel my face turning red. Amber went back to her talking, but not after muttering "Discard that…"

"But as I was saying before… _that…_ it's harder when you… are around people. I'm not old enough to the point where heat to be too difficult, but I have a feeling this time is going to be worse."

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

The more he listened, the more apparent his scent became. I tried to draw my focus away from it, unsuccessfully. As we sat on the bed, he asked "How old are you, exactly?" I replied "I should be around 8 and a half to nine by now. I have never been allowed to keep track."

I brought my gaze up, only to hear a loud _**Thud.**_ I looked over, and Alex was unconscious on the floor. _Right… 'not from around here…'_ I woke him in the usual manner, by placing my claws on his face and flexing them. He shot upright, and stared into my green eyes in shock.

"Y-you're nine?" He stammered. "Sorry, but I forgot to mention- we Keidran usually only live to be about 25 years old." Alex's expression instantly calmed down. I leaned down to him, feeling my instincts start to take over. Suddenly, a loud knock sounded at the door, snapping me from my state.

Alex stood up, seemingly uncertain. He eyed his knife as I sat innocently on the bed. He opened the door, and whoever was on the other side seemingly surprised him..

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

The wolf stood at the door, and I immediately recognized it as Kayla. I had half expected it, considering the usual Keidran attire, _or rather, lack of_ , yet I was still surprised. Kayla wasn't wearing anything. It was brought to my attention that unlike Amber, she was very muscular.

I was suddenly able to understand how she nearly beat me in a fight. "Hey, eyes up here." She said, just quiet enough that Amber's sensitive ears would miss it. "Food is the next floor down if you're hungry, but It should be left at your door."

 **Sorry, I am unsure about what happened with today's chapter. I think I accidentally posted a duplicate, but here is the chapter that was supposed to be our 12 hours ago. Sorry about that, let me know if I screw up again (I check the reviews often). On the bright side, expect a chapter up in another 12 hours. Sorry, Im not sure how it slipped by me.**


	11. On The Way (READ END)

_**Amber's POV:**_

It was Kayla who stood at the door, but something was different. Kayla was in the usual Keidran attire, which was wearing nothing. Alex seemed taken back, but after a few seconds he seemed to adjust to the situation.

She told him something, intentionally quieting her tone of voice to where I couldn't pick it up. I needed to get out and do something to occupy myself. _This could not have been worse timing._

Kayla explained "Food is the next floor down if you're hungry, but it should be left at your door." At that, she said goodbye and left. Alex had also been handed a tray of food, which seemed under portioned. _Any food is good at this point._

Alex went to the desk at the other side of the room and set the assorted meats and fruits down. I kept my eyes trained innocently on him as he walked over to me. He smiled, and suddenly picked me up. My tail found its way around his torso as he brought be across the room to the desk. He set me down in the chair, prying my tail from his torso.

"You can choose first." I gave up the innocent girl look and took some of what was there. I left a small portion of meat for Alex, but he only accepted the portions of fruit present. Mindless conversation accompanied our eating. By the end, only the small piece of meat for Alex was left. He offered it to me. "No, you deserve it." I held the meat out to him, only to have him push my hand back.

I stood up and slapped it into his hand. We stood for a few seconds, before he brought his hands up and set the meat across my muzzle. I stared down at it dumbly for a few seconds, before finally accepting defeat. I ate it quickly, almost glad that he hadn't accepted the last portion of food.

 _ **Alex's POV;**_

 _I think I will stick to the fruits from now on._ The sun was setting, and no land appeared to be in sight. Naturally, Amber sat down on the floor. Yet again, reminding me of our first night in the hotel, I picked her up and set her on the bed. I unpacked my spare blanket and set up on the floor, as usual. _I better keep a watch, considering she is…_

I shook the thoughts, doubting anything would happen. She had informed me that it's at its peak on the fourth day, and we had reached the end of the third day. I made sure that everything was locked, and I pinched out the lantern.

' _Alex ~-`~~~-, you are have been accused of the murder of your parents along with two innocent men. You are to be sentenced to life in prison. Do you have anything to say in your defense?' I lowered my head, knowing there is no way out. A crack sounded throughout the courthouse, signaling the men in uniforms to bring me out._

 _They stuffed me into the car, holding no remorse against the force they used. I never dared to resist. The gates leading in were heavily guarded. I have no chance of getting out. Inside I felt like suicide. The inmates screamed and yelled. They threw objects as I was led through._

 _That night, I was awoken in my cell. I didn't dare open my eyes, knowing doing so would lengthen the pain. A heavy weight was placed on my chest, in the form of a strangely shaped hand. A knife was held to my throat, the blade threatening to draw my last breaths. I squinted my eyes open, daring see the figure. The figure had seemed familiar- almost too familiar_

 _Amber stood atop me, wearing the orange inmate uniform. The beautiful green shade had left her eyes, which had been replaced by a dark orange, almost a shade of red. In a swift movement of its arm, the creature slashed. A pain tore through my entire body, and a feeling of wetness coated my neck. The world went black around me._

I shot upright with a start, unsure of where I was. I was quickly able to observe my surroundings; I sat beside the bed in _our_ room. Amber had been roused from her sleep. She had turned to look at me with a look of deep empathy on her face. "Just a nightmare…" I muttered. I glanced up once again, only to be met by Amber's shining green eyes.

The way she looked at me sparked something in the back of my mind. _I have been taking her for granted this whole time..._ The way she looked at me was with a look of need. It made me realise, where would she be if we hadn't met by our chance encounter? Where would I be, if I had never found this wonderful world of magical abilities and Keidran. There is no technology around to distract us from each other. In that moment of me staring into her eyes, it all made sense. I need her, and she needs me. At that moment in time, it became apparent to me I would allow nothing in this world, or the next, to separate us.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

I was awoken by something from Alex. Something had caused him to be ripped from his sleep in a panic. He turned to me as I pulled my head over the edge of the bed to look over at him. "Just a nightmare…" He muttered at me. I felt like it wasn't _just_ a nightmare. Something seemed to set him on edge upon first making eye contact with him. But during the few seconds of our contact, something sparked in his eyes.

A look of need seemed to flow through his eyes. Even in the dark, I could somehow read his expression. Whatever his nightmare, it seemed to bring about a new feeling in him. I couldn't quite pinpoint it, but I knew it meant something to him.

He turned and laid back down, facing away. I reached off of the edge of the bed, grabbing his arm. I pulled him towards me, making him turn his head to once again make eye contact. He smiled weakly, and crawled up the bed. We held each other close for the remainder of the night, vaguely stirring. At some point, he moved his hand up and down my back. I didn't really notice, as the warmth of him next to me swallowed me into a deeper sleep. _**[{please read the following}]**_

 **So, I am just uploading this short chapter as an experiment. I have been feeling that my writing has been very underwhelming, both action wise and romance wise- after all, the tags for this story are Action/Adventure and Romance. Towards the second half of this short chapter, I changed the way I wrote- granted, it did take much longer. I felt like writing like this will bring more imagination into play, and truly bring the reader closer to the story. Please leave a review if you like it- There are two choices:**

 **1\. I adapt to a new writing style, like used in the second half of the chapter- chapters would no longer come out every 24 hours, but more in the 38 hour range. It takes longer to write like this, but I feel much happier with the finished product. The story would look and seem more professional, and in the long run, would not bore readers as much. Emotionally, I feel it would be more exiting for all of us.**

 **2\. I keep writing how I used to- quickly, not really paying attention to emotions going into the story. The story will stay somewhat underwhelming. However, chapters would continue to release every 24 hours or so. I, personally, feel less accomplished at the end of the day when I write in my old fashion. I would prefer choice #1.**

 **Personally, as the writer, I feel like that #1 would be a better choice. I would describe the characters emotions. The story would be more exiting- however, less would be packed into each chapter. The story would not be boring, but as said- it would take longer to write and develop. To those who have read this, I beg you to leave a review choosing one of the following choices. If nobody leaves one, I will make the decision- lets go by majority rules.**

 **If I am to be honest, the way that I write #2 kind of embarrasses me (sloppy). Tell me which you prefer**


	12. The Disaster

_**Alex's POV:**_

Waking that morning, I found myself unable to move. I looked to my side, to be met by an arm. Amber had her arms woven under and above mine, locking me into position. _Great._ I squirmed around for a few minutes, finally releasing myself from Amber's grip.

I slid away from the bed. _I wonder if she'd be mad if… no, god dammit Alex! Don't take advantage of her._

I slid out the door, to find breakfast. I stepped a floor down, to be met by barrels which spanned the whole lower deck. _Food… right. Well, I guess Kayla meant take what we want._ I grabbed the usual fruits and meats and left back to the room.

After eating, It was brought to my attention that It was still very early in the morning. I took Amber's hand and brought her to the upper deck. Being careful to not rouse any suspicion.

The sun had not yet rose, so we waited on the upper deck. As the sun was coming over the horizon, Kayla greeted us. "The trip will be another week, if we don't have any issues."

Later that day, we went below deck to pass the time. 2 Days later, a ship had appeared on the horizon. The ship had been getting closer every dad, rousing suspicion among the crew and passengers. Being a merchant ship, apparently pirates were a common problem. I had a feeling that It wasn't pirates that we needed to worry about.

Amber's heat had reached its peak, being almost unbearable. I had awoken early that morning in an… _interesting_ situation. Amber was sleeping behind me, and I was woken after her paws found her way… _there._ Luckily, I avoided an awkward awakening by, noticing it before it went... _too far_ , and I also didn't wake Amber up in the process of avoiding it.

I decided not to mention it- it was best that it was forgotten.

On the sixth day of the trip, we had seen less and less of Kayla. The ship had gotten closer, and the basitin islands were in view. The passengers had been warned of possible imminent danger, and had been briefed about the whereabouts of the weaponry stored on the ship.

By the afternoon of the sixth day, is islands were getting closer, along with the approaching ship. Danger seemed imminent. The ship was no longer on the horizon, but close off to the side of the ship. The cannons threatened to tear us apart, if the wrong move was made.

We were on our way down from speaking to Kayla on the upper deck, when a loud _**thrum**_ followed by a _**crack**_ sounded through the air. A cannon ball had impacted the side of the ship, forming a large hole- everyone fears had been realised. Suddenly, a purple ball of light emitted from the ship.

It exploded mid-air, blowing us off of our feet. _Templar… It would only be._ Another three cannonballs found their way out of the other ship, puncturing more holes in the ship. We managed one in return, barely damaging the other ship. I rushed downstairs, and grabbed what gear I could; the knife was all I could manage. The water was past my knees- I didn't have time. Another cannonball Impacted the ship. I scrambled back to the main deck, finding Amber holding on.

The ship tilted sharply, threatening to tip completely over. Men and Keidran alike were diving into the water, only to be hit by falling debris or spells cast by the Templar. The ship was nearly submerged. We were the only two left on site and on board. I frantically looked around for anyone, specifically Kayla. We didn't have any choices left. I took Amber's hand as we fell into the water. I began to swim, only to realise- Amber was only staying afloat my instinct. I swam towards her, only to be impacted behind the knees by falling debris. I was pulled underwater.

I resurfaced and swam to Amber, ignoring the pain in my legs. I could tell that my skin had been punctured. My arm was hit next. I remained glad that Amber had turned out luckier than it, managing to avoid most of the debris, being hit by less that I. The ship was gone, and the Templar had ceased fire. The debris provided sufficient camouflage, keeping us safe from the spells that had finished off so many.

I slung Amber over my shoulder, the pain in my legs and arm worsened. I began the long and agonising swim to the shore of the basitin islands.

I was exhausted. I lay on the beach, completely defenceless. I was surrounded by debris from the ship, and belongings of the innocent passengers and crew. _They are all gone… all because of me._ The world around me swirled. Amber had left to try to find help- It had all seemed to take too long. It felt like days before the cries of Amber's voice sounded from nearby. She had limped to me first, waving the men over. Before they reached me, the world around me went white. The gashes all over my body felt distant. The white flashed into a darkness that swallowed me whole.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

I ran from the beach. Alex laid behind on the shore, threatening to bleed out any second. I made my way up the bank, searching frantically. I spotted buildings, and made my way there. I reached the street, only to be met by the confused faces of basitin men and guards. One of them drew his weapon and stepped forward, only to suddenly become aware of the dire situation. I must have looked much worse that I had imagined- for the guards and men immediately came my way, holstering their weapons. One of them shouted something in Basitin, and two or three men ran deeper into town..

Two of them attempted to help me deeper into town, to a header or something of the sort.. I struggled, and fell to the ground flat on my face. Assuming they knew no human, I stood and pulled my way back towards the shore. I made it a few steps and turned back. The one closest to me yelled again, this time sounding more urgent. Another man sprinted down the path deeper into town.

I led them to the shore where Alex lay. I had made it to him before they did. I knelt above him, struggling to sustain consciousness. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. Two of the men who weren't armored picked him up. He seemed limp and lifeless. Tears tore at my eyes, threatening to break through. I began to walk after Alex, limping frantically. One of the shorter men took my arm over my shoulder. I collapsed to the ground, and attempted to push back up. The world around me went black.

 **Note: I might do a little work on the next chapter tonight, but a few things to keep in mind: I got back from an RSL Soccer game (Real Salt Lake), and I am leaving somewhat early tomorrow to go to the Arts Festival. Chapter should be up by Sunday morning. Remember- leave a review from the end of last chapter ;)**


	13. Kayla's Survival

_**Kayla's POV:**_

 _The ship is gone. Everyone is dead. I don't have a choice._ It was getting late, and the debris I clung to wasn't to stay afloat much longer. My waterlogged fur weighed me down, but I had no choice. Luckily, I had avoided injury. I had witnessed other passengers and crew members being taken down by falling debris or the spells of the Templar.

I swam hard, the exhaustion ripping at my arms. My front and rear paws worked frantically to keep me afloat. The Basitin Islands were close, but it seemed so far away. I was so close to the shore, when suddenly I was swept underwater. I fought the current, only to be slammed hard against the jagged rocks on the ocean floor.

My chest and stomach were slashed over and over and I fought. Eventually I broke the surface at the right time. I was carried to the shore, where I lay where I was deposited. The sand around me soaked with blood as the world went dark.

 **Note: Another is coming out tomorrow, just a short chapter.**


	14. Reunions

_**Alex's POV:**_

I woke up in what appeared to be a jail cell. _Not again. Amber was atop me, holding the bloodied knife in her hands. The world around was dark, but her eyes glowed a red. Suddenly, her eyes appeared back to their usual light green color. The knife dropped slid out of her hands. A look of horror crossed her face. The emotions on her face turned from hate and anger to panic and regret. Tears filled her eyes as she stood. I tried to move, only to feel like a weight had been placed across my entire body. She ran out of the room._

I woke in a lone room, with no windows or people in sight. My mouth was dry, and I felt like I had lost nearly 5 pounds. It was dark outside. I couldn't remember where I was. _Where am I? What…_ Then the memories of what felt like the days events hit me. _Amber…_ _ **Amber!**_ I shot upright, only to shout in pain out as wounds on my chest reopened. _I don't remember those being there…_ Someone walked into the room. It was a sort of weird creature that could most likely be described as some sort of brown furred feline type thing. _I guess that's a Basitin._ "Oh. You're finally awake!" She said happily, which deepened my mood.

"How long have I been out for?" I asked groggily, wanting nothing but food, water, and Amber's company. "About four and a half days. Keeping watch at night is miserable, glad you're awake." _Four days?_ "I need to see Amber…" I told the male Basitin, which strangely had bandages over its face. He told me casually, as if the conversation has happened before, which I expected it had "It's to avoid temptation."

"Your two friends are safe. One of them, I take it the one you referred to as _Amber_ , Is awake and well. The Wolf is still bedridden." _Wait… two? Wolf? Could Kayla have survived? I know there were other wolves on the ship…_ I asked "Did anyone else survive?" I earned the bitter reply of "Yes, another man washed up, but died seconds after found."

 _We must be the lucky ones._ "When can I see them?" I asked quietly, doing my best to conserve my energy as I laid on the bed. He told me "Well, considering the time of night, they will be notified somethime tomorrow."

I muttered "For the love of god, how long has It been since I've had water?" He replied "Thanks for the reminder. Here." He brought a large clay pitcher of water to the wooden table beside me, along with some fruit. _Good enough._

I devoured the food in what felt like a matter of seconds, leaving nothing behind.

"Well that was quick. Here, bite this. I need to change your bandages." The Basitin handed me a thick cloth. He propped me upwards and knelt behind me. _Oh, this is going to be great._ "This is going to hurt a little, so bite hard." _Even better._

I nearly spat the rag out as he began unwrapping the bandages. The pain was the worst I had ever experienced, nearly taking my consciousness away. After what felt like hours, it was finally done.

"Now, you have a long road of healing ahead of you. You will not have to stand trial, but you may be sent home. If you choose to stay, there will be many rules to follow. That is all I have been told." I confusingly asked "T-trial? What did I do wrong?" He replied coldly "I do not know, but I suspect it is one thing or another."

"You should get some rest." There was no lantern to pinch out, so he simply left. I began what was the worst, and most painful sleep of my life. I dreamt that Amber and I were back together again.

The next morning I was woken by surprise. The air around me was cool, and a furry figure stood over me. I immediately recognised the light red and white fur patterns as Amber. She nearly leapt onto me, making me flinch in reply. She drew back slightly, only to have me pull her back into my arms. She sat me upright, and did something that surprised me to a full extent. She licked me whole front of my face. Amber immediately giggle playfully, earning a sigh in reply.

"I've heard that I have been out for what, five days now? Have I really?" Amber seemed to forget to reply. She hugged me, and dug her muzzle into the shoulder of my non-injured arm. She was careful enough, not causing much extra pain. Amber cried into my arms. She said through sobs "They thought you wouldn't wake up in time… You hadn't eaten or drank in so long."

Suddenly, the Basitin from the night before entered the room where I was staying, nearly causing Amber to launch herself off of me. She hid her face from him and wiped her tears away.

He smirked through the bandages covering his face "Ah, I see you found her- or rather, she found you. Well, how do you feel?" I replied "I feel better. I'll probably stay another day or so." Amber sat down next to me, her tail whipping my back. I playfully leaned back, and sat my hand on her tail for support. She glared at me as it started twitching wildly, eventually escaping from my grip.

The Basitin stepped out of the room. On his way he said "Good. Well, I'll leave it up to her to fill you in."

I turned to Amber, and asked "Are you okay?" She replied "I was just a little scraped up, but I think I passed out from exhaustion on the beach." I turned my tone of voice quiet and serious, asking "Are there… any others?" Amber immediately smiled and excitedly told me "Kayla is! She should be here any minute." I reached up and scratched behind Amber's ears, appreciating the fact that she was out of heat. _Four days, good timing._

At that statement, a cloaked figure entered the room. The figure took its hood off, revealing a wolfish figure. I noticed something- her feet were wrapped in a very thick cloth. I asked, looking at the bandages on her chest "You made it! Are you okay?" She replied "Yeah, just got beat up on shore by the waves."

I asked "Whats with your feet?" To my side, Amber rolled backwards onto the bed, flinging her legs into the air. Her feet had the same coverings on them. Amber's legs flailed about wildly in the air as Kayla replied "These Basitins and their stupid decency laws." A loud _**Thud**_ sounded behind me. I turned around, to be met by a foot. Amber casually waved up at me, having fallen off of the back of the bed. We all started laughing, which helped me forget the pain in my chest. My legs and arm had seemed to have held up quite well, considering that the pain was nearly non-existent.

Kayla came and helped Amber up, after witnessing me fail. Kayla said sadly "There was someone who washed up on the beach. He was an older man, but… he died shortly after he was found." Both of their faces turned to looks of sadness, as it sank in.

Kayla was first to break the silence. "Ill leave you two lovebirds to it." She winked at me as she walked out. I yelled after Kayla "Hey, no! It's not like that!" I elbowed Amber playfully. I could tell it put many questions in her mind.

"Well, where to from here? They don't exactly seem happy that we are here, considering we have to stand some sort of trial." Her reply was "I don't exactly know. I just thought we could come here to get away for a while."

 **[{Ignore If I said anything about Lyn'Knoll and got its location wrong}]**

I said "Well, considering the lengths the templar went to to 'kill' us, I think It would be best to stay away for a while." Amber skeptically replied "Well, this place that I know of… Once we are clear, I hear it's a really nice place to go."

"Where exactly is this place?" Amber replied "Somewhere near where I found you. I didn't think you'd ever care about going. Its…" Amber trailed off. _She probably doesn't want me to question it._

The day carried on as we talked, and it eventually started to get late. I asked near the end "So, where are they making you stay?" She replied "For now, in the same rooms that we were treated. One of the guards mentioned something about moving us."

The day was late, and Amber had left. She had brought me a piece of wood and a knife to keep myself occupied. I began to whittle my worries away.

 **Just an FYI, sorry about missing the upload yesterday, I was going to see the new independence day (11:00 showing) and then I went out to a family barbecue for the night. I just got home and Its late, I got almost all of this done in one night- Next chapter tomorrow!**


	15. The Healing

_**Kayla's POV:**_

 _Alex is a lucky man…_ I stood once again in the room that I awoke in, which was much worse looking that Alex's. I hadn't seen Amber's room, but I suspected it was much nicer as well. The sun had completely fallen over the horizon, enveloping the whole island in complete darkness. I only knew by a window in the hallway. _The only common thing is no windows…_

 _Gah! Why am I even obsessing over these rooms? My feet feel like they're suffocating._ I removed the 'formal ankle coverings' as the doctor quoted them, along with my robes. I checked the locks, and pinched out the lantern. I slid under the thing covers. The island seemed warmer than the mainland at night. I drifted to a peaceful sleep.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

Alex left his door unlocked, so I decided to check up on him. He looked like he slept surprisingly peaceful, considering the extent of his yet-to-heal injuries. _I wonder if they have any mana crystals here…_ The room was darker than anywhere else in the building, except the other patients roomless windows. Had the lanterns in the hallway been put out, the moonlight pouring through the windows would provide at least some light.

 _I wonder if he'd be mad if I… no!_

I turned and closed the door, wanting to evade the thoughts. _Even out of heat…_

I strode back down the hallway, being careful not to awaken anyone. Luckily, I made it to my room quietly and quickly in the dim lighting. I stepped into my room, to where I had already extinguished the lantern. My catlike eyes took a minute or two to adjust, but once they had, I easily made my way through the room. I removed the bandages around my feet, glad that I had not been forced to wear an itchy robe like Kayla. I cursed under my breath " _These god dam Basitins and their decency!"_

My ears picked up the wind from outside. In the moment, I panicked- fearing I had been heard. Several minutes of sitting still and listening to the constant wind reassured me. I flopped backwards onto the bed, not bothering to remove the covers. I rested my hands across my stomach.

 _...'It's not like that'? Then why did he elbow me straight after saying it? Is he just playing around? Did he mean what he said sarcastically? Did he mean for me to take it seriously?_

The facts and words ran rapidly through my mind, nearly driving me insane. I grabbed the brush that I had been given. _I haven't brushed my fur in weeks… Why not?_

The brush almost perfectly mimicked the red tone of my fur. As I brushed, I almost emitted a purr- very rare, especially for a fox.

After nearly an hour of constant brushing and pulling, I was finally finished. The room seemed darker as the night dragged on, defying my eyes. I was officially tired, and ready for bed. I didn't bother with the light covers- the surrounding island air was warm enough for me. The darkness swallowed me into a deep sleep.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

The lantern in my room was lit when I awoke, signaling it was morning. There was food sitting on the bedside table, which I quickly finished. A knock sounded on the door, and Amber walked in. She hid her hands behind her back, obviously something in them.

She looked _amazing._ Her fur looked softer and smoother than I had ever seen it- most likely the result of a brush. The patches of red and dark orange in her fur seemed brighter than ever, seemingly taking all of the color from the room. I complimented "Wow. You look amazing Amber!" She blushed, and replied "Well, last night I was given a brush. Really makes a difference, you know?... Oh! Good news! Look what the basitins had laying around!"

I groggily wiped my eyes, having only been up for a few minutes. She brought her hands out from behind her back, which contained three mana crystals. "The basitins can't use magic- but they had a few of these laying around, so they gave them to me."

I knew the drill. I pushed myself to the edge of the bed and sat upright. Amber took the crystals in hand, and took them into her. _Well that's something you don't see everyday._ All of the blue glow had been removed from the crystals, and Amber's fur had a blue aura around it. I was tempted to reach out and touch it, but I quickly decided against it.

She placed both of her paws flat against my bare chest, closing her eyes and casting the spell. A tingling, stinging sensation filled my body. I could feel the wounds on my chest, which I still didn't understand how they got there, healing. I felt my legs began to seal, but right after the finished, the process stopped. Amber opened one eye, and stared at me. After a few seconds, she opened up the other. She spoke "Shit. Well, that's all the mana I have. Sorry, but you're going to have to deal with that arm for a while."

Amber turned and brought her muzzle within an inch or so of my face, blushing. I moved forwards, only to feel something wet slide up my face. Amber drew back, her tongue hanging an inch or so out of her muzzle. She stared at me, and we both started laughing as I wiped my face.

My door was still open, and I could obviously see that It wasn't as late as I thought. It was still dark outside. I asked "How long have you been awake?" She replied "About an hour or so. I heard someone from my room and expected it was you."

I stood up and walked over to the door, and locked it shut. I came back and sat on the bed, resting my arm over Amber's shoulder. I turned and looked at her, and asked "So, how long do we plan on staying?" She replied "As long as we are allowed. I don't think the basitins will allow us to stay in town."

I scratched Amber's shoulder. "You like it? It took a while, but the brush did its work" I told her "It's so soft. You look… adorable like this- I like it." Amber blushed and stood up. She brought her face down once again, she stopped yet again, but It was me who moved forward. An electric shock flowed through me as our lips met.

A knock sounded at the door, nearly launching her away. I pulled Amber onto the bed and walked to the door. Kayla stood there with another Basitin doctor behind her. They both held various supplies. The doctor saw Amber in her unclothed state, and immediately piled the clothes she carried on top of the ones Kayla held.

Kayla informed us "Amber, i'm sorry, but you're going to have to wear these. She walked towards the bed and met Amber halfway, handing her the robes and 'ankle coverings'. Amber got dressed as Kayla handed me some fresh robes. She noted my chest had healed and asked "How did you…" I motioned towards Amber, and told her "She found some mana crystals." I held out my arm, showing Kayla the scratches still present. "She ran out of mana though."

Suddenly something grabbed Kayla from behind. The cloaked figure slapped its hands on her shoulders. Kayla screamed out and turned around, claws flailing about wildly. The figure dodged backward, drawing its hands back. I noticed a tuft of red fur from its paws, and Immediately fell over, laughing my ass off. Kayla turned and glared at me, her claws still pointed at the figure. Amber took her hood off, revealing herself to Kayla. Kayla glared at us as we both laughed.

 _Things are finally turning around. I can see myself staying here, for a long while._

 ** _Sorry about the short chapter, my internet hit the fan last night and I lost a lot of progress. I hope it wont happen again (my internet is unreliable at night, which is when I work). Hope you enjoy!_**


	16. Kayla's Secrets

_**Amber's POV:**_

Kayla glared at us as we continued to laugh. After about a minute or so, we had all seemed to calm down. Kayla told me "So, you know magic?" I replied weakly "Only a little. Just healing spells. It's useless now, there are no more mana crystals here."

"Actually, I do have a few. But, sadly, I can't give them out for… _reasons." Okaaayyyy..._

Alex was the first to respond, resting his hand on her shoulder "Well, if what you need them for is important, I can and will respect it." I glared at Alex, but he shrugged it off as he noticed. I giggled, noticing a small white tuff of fur on the back of Kayla's paw.

I asked "Hey, not to be mean, but how old are you? Your hand…" Kayla turned, confused, saying "I'm around 10 and a half. Why did youuuuuu….?" She trailed off as she caught sight of the while fur. She quickly drew her paw back into the cloak's sleeves. Kayla turned and left the room, nearly tearing her robe apart as she took our her crystals.

 _ **Kayla's POV:**_

 _No, no, no! Of all places, it had to happen here! No mana crystals, anywhere. I knew the spell would last… but why not longer!_

I slammed the door to my room, loud enough for everyone to hear. I locked the door and tore my robes off. The blue glow was gone from the mana crystals. I shouted out loud "No!"

The white had spread from a small patch on the back of my left paw to the whole paw. My black pads had gone a bright shade of pink. _This can't be happening… not now!_

 _The door is locked, and there are no windows. I'm safe for now._ The white continued to overtake my usual dark grey fur color. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. _Amber…_ She asked "Kayla? Are you alright? I didn't mean to upset you!" Her voice dripped with concern and worry.

I stammered a reply, "I-I'm fine. Ju-Just go away!" Amber spoke again, louder this time "Kayla, I'm sorry. Just let me in." I heard her jiggle the doorknob. _Thank god for internal locks._ I side-stepped over towards the bed, throwing the covers open. I slid under, hiding my whole body. I could see it continued to spread. _It's wearing off…_

 _ **Amber's POV**_

Kayla practically screamed at me to leave her alone. _Did I really offend her that much…?_ Alex turned the hallway, only to be met by me walking his way. I informed "She locked the door. She just keeps yelling at me to go away." Alex suggested "Well, if she wants to be left alone, we should leave it that way."

A guard stepped into the hallway, heading right for us. Alex pushed me behind him, obviously ready for the worst. "You are to be moved from this building within the week. Have your belongings packed and ready."

Alex turned to walk back to the room. "Go get started, I have to tell Kayla." I jogged down the hallway. "Kayla! We might be getting moved soon. Pack your things." She replied, an unsteady tone of voice "I-Okay. Ill pack."

I rushed down the hallway to the room where I had been set up in. I organised my things, just In case. _Within the week… That could still be today._

I left my brush out, just in case. A small sack had been set at my bedside table, nothing near as fancy as Alex's bag. The day dragged on. Alex and I visited each other occasionally, but spent most of the time of the day in our rooms. We weren't allowed outside of the building yet, limiting our activities. Alex had presented me with a dragon, carved from the piece of wood that I gave him.

Kayla was yet to come out of her room, which seemed strange. I was starting to feel like something was…. _Up._

 _ **Kayla's POV:**_

My whole arm was now returning to its natural white color. _How am I supposed to explain this to them?_ I nearly flew out from under the covers when a knock sounded at the door. I peeked my head out, glad that was still under control. I picked up the scent of the evening meal. I had been hiding for not only what felt like hours, but what was apparently hours.

I unlocked the door, trying to be as quiet as I could. I opened it just wide enough for me to grab the food sitting on the floor. I quickly slammed the door shut and locked it, paying no attention to the noise it caused.

I finished the food and went back to hiding. _I can't hide this forever. With no crystals, what other choice do I have?_

I crept to the door, and left it unlocked. _It has to happen one way or another._

 ** _Keep in mind that I will probably upload a same length chapter sometime tomorrow. Some of you will understand what/where this is going..._**


	17. Kayla's Reveal

_**Alex's POV:**_

Amber seemed to appreciate the wooden dragon, which made me very happy. Still concerned about Kayla, our day came to an end. We had decided to leave her be for the rest of the night, and try sometime tomorrow.

The night was upon us, and we still heard nothing from Kayla. _The crystals explain why she seemed to have healed perfectly fine_. We left to our rooms for the night, both obviously questioning Kayla's sudden disappearance. _Ever since we got here, Amber has been acting… differently. More affectionate._

Thinking of the days kiss, I whispered as I reached for the lantern "I don't mind, really…". I extinguished the flame, taking in the warm island air around me. The world was dark, considering I had no windows nearby. I was enveloped in darkness within seconds.

Waking the next morning, I retrieved the food at my door. _I can't wait to get out of here..._ I ate as quickly as healthy, then left to Amber's room. It was still slightly dark outside. _The tables have finally turned._ Amber had left her door unlocked, and she wasn't awake. I only knew by the fact that the food sitting outside of her door was yet to be tampered with. I pried the door open, and tiptoed my way over to the bed. I whispered, a smile on my face "oh Aaammbbeerrrr…" She didn't dare stir at the statement.

I stood slightly offset to the bed, and leaned down. I hovered my hands a few inches above her shoulder, and forced them down. I pressed against her shoulders. "Amber! Wake up!" Her eyes shot open, ears laid back. She reached up, and threw me over towards the wall on the other side of the bed. She sat on top of me, ears still laid back threateningly.

After about half a second, she realised it was only me; only after I started laughing. She laughed out loud, placing both of her paws flat against my chest, lowering herself.

After about a minute or so of casual conversation, Amber slowly trailed off and went quiet. She slowly swayed her hips side to side, still sitting on top of me. Her tail flipped about wildly, eventually wrapping under one of my raised knees. Her face was taken over by blush. I sat upright, and gave her a quick kiss before saying "We should go check on Kayla. I have been worried about her sick."

Amber sat up, almost letting a look of defeat into her eyes.

I led the way down the hall, reaching Kayla's room. I knocked, and hear a sharp rustling sound from the room. "Go away!" Came a muffled voice. I turned to Amber, who nodded. I slowly turned the knob to the room, noting that It was unlocked. I picked up the food and brought it in. The room was a _mess._ Clothes were everywhere, and different things from the desks and tables were all over the floor.

Kayla was hiding under her bedsheets, completely camouflaged by the dark. We strode over to the bed, depositing the tray of food. We knelt by the bed. I said "Kayla, whatever Is wrong, it's okay to tell us."

I looked at Amber reassuringly. Suddenly, something I did not expect happened. A white tail shot out from underneath the blanket, twitching around wildly in between Amber and I. Amber turned to me, worried and confused. Kayla sat upright, still hidden under the covers. Her tail fwished around wildly. Kayla brought the blanket off of her head and held it down at her shoulders.

She turned to us, obviously having been crying. She said groggily "Now do you understand why I have been hiding." I was confused. _A white wolf? They have these too? Awesome!_ Amber, meanwhile, told her "Kayla! You look… beautiful! I thought frost wolves were just _legend!_ "

 _Frost Wolves, eh?_ Amber noticed that I seemed confused. "Look, Frost Wolves are thought to be of legend. They live far to the north, high in the snowy mountains… except for this one." Kayla elbowed Amber in the ribs playfully. She yelled "What! It's true!"

One of the basitin doctors walked in at possibly the worst moment, with the bandages on her eyes removed. She muttered "Oh my… is tha- are you a fr-?" Kayla interrupted her mid-sentence. "Yes. I am surprised how you didn't see thought the spell."

The doctor replied "Oh, I knew some sort of spell was active. I just couldn't pinpoint it. You're not wearing…" At that, she turned and left- obviously lost for words.

I questioned "So why exactly were you… hiding yourself?" She replied gloomily "Well, considering I was removed from the tribe… I decided best to stay away." Amber beat me to words. "What happened?" Kayla gloomily replied, once again "I'd rather not talk about it."

Kayla stood up, fully revealing herself. She looked even more muscular, _too muscular._ Her fur shined brightly in the now-lit yellow light of the lantern. She slipped on her robes, seeming a completely different person. A guard stepped into the room, right as Kayla finished getting dressed. Amber slipped by, keeping note of the 'Basitin Decency Laws.' Seconds later, she was back by my side. The guard informed us "If you are planning to stay, you are to be directed immediately to the section of town dedicated to the non-Basitins. If you are to leave, you are required to stand trial immediately."

We all glanced at each other, and it was Amber who spoke up. "Um. I take it we are going to be staying." The guard stood aside. "Head to your rooms and grab your things."

We were led through town by multiple guards. We earned dirty looks from almost every Basitin that we passed. Kayla, in particular, seemed to find no criticism now that the 'spell' had worn off. It was as if the Basitins didn't dare question her. There was the occasional human dragging around a Keidran by its ropes. _I wish I could free them all..._

Suddenly, the road that we were led down turned barren. All of the Basitins had disappeared from sight. We were lead to an inn not far from the Basitin area of town. The guard motioned us in. An older basitin lady sat at the desk, obviously busy in one way or another. She glanced upwards, having to double take. They spoke back and forth in what appeared to be Keidran, though from the confused looks from Amber and Kayla's faces, I suspected the Basitins had a language of their own.

The guard spoke in broken english "Two rooms. Twenty one and eatin." I cleared the confusion, telling Amber and Kayla "Eighteen."

Kayla and I took the room with two beds, room number 21. Kayla was staying 3 rooms over, _probably happy to be by herself._

We set everything in its usual place in our rooms, bags and clothes where they would normally go. _Still wish I had my modern clothes… guess i'll fit in better without them._ We left the room, only to be met halfway by Kayla. I muttered "Finally free to explore. Where to?" I have an idea.

A while later, we sat on a ledge, overlooking the whole NorthEast side of the Basitin islands. The sun was just beginning its decline to the horizon. The tropical weather remained a pleasant warm temperature, for all of us. Ambers short red and white fur was insulated enough. Though Kayla's fur was long, its white color seemed to be keeping her cool.

We unpacked what food we had brought, and discussed where to go from here. "I think we should stay here for a while. Considering the Templar." I replied "Agreed." Kayla nearly spoke her part, but dove back into the food we had brought.

The evening was getting late, and the ledge uncomfortable. Back at the inn, we all headed back to our rooms. The sunlight was nearly gone, and so was our food for the day. We quickly finished it off and parted ways. Once in the room, I sat on the bed.

I sorted through my money and pack- which conveniently washed up on shore- _empty._ Kayla removed her robes, complaining about how itchy they were. She appeared to have finished brushing her fur, because once again looking amazing, she strode over to me. _Ohh no…_

I glanced up from my bag casually, "Oh, you're done? You look great!" She replied "Thanks."

Amber stood in front of me. She pushed me backwards onto the bed with both paws, and sat on top of me once again. She brought her lips down to mine as we ground against each other, slowly escalating the activity.

The night's activities were over. Amber and I both laid in bed, making small talk. Eventually, she lost to her tiredness. I was not far after. I drifted off to sleep, holding Amber closer than ever before to me: both physically, and in my heart.

 _ **Eh, a little more romance never hurt anything. Got this + last chapter all done in one night! I feel accomplished. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go sleep until noon. Goodnight, thanks for reading!**_


	18. On The Way

_**Amber's POV**_

The morning was still young. I was jostled awake by Alex trying to climb out of the single bed. I pulled him towards me even tighter, emitting a moan of complaint from Alex. I further buried my muzzle into the back of his neck. He relaxed, letting me take hold. I said, muffled by my face to Alex's neck, "Just five more minutes."

He stopped trying to get up, and turned to make eye contact with me. I licked him across his face, which I wasn't sure if he liked or not. He just giggled and turned back around. The room was still dark, the sun not having risen yet. In what felt like the twitch of an ear, the room was suddenly flooded with daylight. _Well that was fast._

Alex has somehow ended up behind me, now restraining me from moving. _Great._ What felt like 10 minutes of wiggling around, I finally managed to free myself from his grip. I stalked over to the bed on the other side of the room, intended for me. Alex groggily tossed and turned, only to be left looking over at me. "You're awake before me. _Again._ "

I was facing away from Alex as we talked, but I made sure of one thing. I kept my tail upwards, just for laughs. Alex giggle to himself as he crawled out of bed and got dressed. He asked "Where's my shir-?" Only to be cut short by me throwing his black one over my shoulder.

Curious as to why he had gone so suddenly quiet, I turned around, only to giggle in reply. The shirt was draped across Alex's face, completely blocking his view. I skipped over and grabbed the shirt before he was able to. I darted to the other side of the room and playfully slipped it on. He told me "Amber, i'm sorry but not right now. Kayla's probably awake by now."

He strode towards me, only to be countered. He took another step towards me, only for me to step another in the other direction.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

 _She wants to play like that, huh?_ I took another step towards Amber, again being countered. I turned around, pretending to go back to my bag. I shot back around towards her, but I wasn't quick enough. Her animalistic reaction times outdid me, with her ending up on the other side of the room. I jumped towards her, catching her by surprise.

She fell backwards on the foot of the bed, me atop her. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek before climbing off of her. She asked, almost sounding disappointed, "You're not gonna take the shirt off?"

I replied "No, you can keep it. You need something to wear anyways. Plus, you look good in that" I tossed her a pair of my shorts. She said something under her breath, along the lines of "This smells nice…". I asked, "What?", obviously having heard her. "Nothing!"

She slipped the shorts on as I found another shirt. _Dressed in all black, I do admit. It fits her well._ We grabbed our packs and money, and left the room. Kayla was waiting at the bar of the inn, obviously bored of waiting.

Kayla winked at me as we walked in. _Did she… last night?_ The frost wolf stood up, still surprising us with the fact that she was in fact, a creature of legends.

We spent the day wandering around town, Kayla earning suspicious glances from almost every Basitin to catch sight of her. At one point, as we walked through the forest, making our way to the views of yesterday, Kayla said something in Keidran.

She asked You smell like Alex. Amber, last night… did you guys…?" She trailed off, not daring to finish the question. I didn't bother turning my head. Amber knew it was coming, mostly because she giggled at the question. I told her, in broken Keidran "Kayla, Amber held.. To promise."

Kayla stuttered, and turned red from embarrassment- probably having switched to Keidran to avoid me hearing. Amber said something to Kayla under her breath, supposedly answering the question asked.

Kayla's ears shot upright along with her gaze for a few stunned moments as we walked. Kayla's gaze finally returned to its normal state, even then, a look of shock still remained.

The days carried on, and on our fourth day on the island, I was waiting in the bath for Amber. The bath was more the size of a large hot tub, but It was still referred to as a bath. Amber had invited Kayla to join us, but Amber was yet to arrive. Kayla let a question slip, to which I answered "Kayla- Amber is my girlfriend."

Kayla muttered a reply, "I know…" It had finally appeared to settle with her that we were in fact, very unusual. Keeping ourselves from the Templar remained easy for the time being.

Waiting a few weeks, we were finally ready to attempt to find our way back home. The Basitin islands were not the ideal place for us. There wasn't much of anything to do, and the Basitins treated us very poorly.

The next merchant ship was to arrive in two days time, and we were instructed to board on its way back. The day before, Amber and I woke up, once again. We slept in our own beds most of the time, except for the occasional exception. Whether it was cold outside, or we were just plain exhausted, sometimes it just seemed to happen.

That morning we had an argument. I say _argument,_ but it was more of a playful dispute. I had offered to take some of Amber's items, as her bag was far overstuffed.

My bag was much larger, resulting in it being left far under packed. In the end, she ended up pouncing on me as the usual, finally agreeing out of defeat. She crammed what couldn't fit into her bag into one of the separate pockets of mine.

Interestingly enough, at least half of the clothes that she took were things that had belonged to me at one point or another. _I guess she just associates them with me..._

The next day, the merchant ship arrived. The captain had been briefed on our transport. Lucky to us, if we had chosen to leave on the first day out of the hospital building, we would be forced to stand trial. Now, after staying a few weeks, we were lucky enough to be granted passage without trial.

We found our way to the lower deck, and to the quarters we were to be given. It was no room, it was several. There was a bathroom, two bed rooms, and a main storage area. It was much nicer than anything I had yet to see in this world, and it seemed to be the same case for Amber and Kayla. They marveled at the wonders of where we were to be spending the much slower, longer trip of two weeks.

 _The one thing I miss about my earth… more convenient traveling._ We had finished settling into where we were to be staying, when the ship left port. The going was slow, but comfortable. We were in our rooms, when something hit me. _I haven't bathed in weeks… Nearly a month._

I told Amber "I haven't bathed in a few weeks. Im off to the bath." Amber pranced after me, without hesitation. _Sigh._ The bath was decent sized, not much bigger than the others I had seen here. I climbed into the bath, which was much warmer than any on the Basitin islands. I asked Amber "Why is this so much warmer?" She explained "The Basitins can't use magic. Humans and Keidran can, so these baths are magically heated." "Neat."

Amber got in the bath, obviously still not fully comfortable with water. She had just brushed her fur today, so she wasn't happy about ruining it in the bath. The water was already very soapy, which did its work. Amber took my towel, saying "Oh comon. I've already seen that. After all, the water is cloudy and soapy as is."

A knock sounded at the door, making me flinch. Instinctively, I reached for my towel to cover up. Amber moved away from me, and told whoever was there "Come in!"

Kayla stepped through the door, her glossy white fur having turned a light grey from dust and dirt. She shook and brought as much of it out as she could before entering the bath. She seemed far less comfortable about undressing around me than Amber was, but that was expected.

Amber flicked some water towards me playfully. I cupped my hands and returned fire, only for her to dodge to the side. The water hit Kayla directly in the face, making her lower her ears and growl. Kayla shot water back, only for me to duck underwater. I disappeared in the cloudy water, slowly rising behind Amber, who looked around confused.

Kayla giggled, informing Amber of what was coming. I dripped a slight amount of water on her shoulder, making her turn around. Amber fell over backwards at seeing me, fully submerging in the water. She grabbed one of Kayla's legs, making her lose balance too. Kayla fell backwards at the sudden jolt, falling underwater. Both of them engaged in a water war, trying to dunk the other while staying dry.

All while I sat back, laughing my ass off. Amber turned and initiated me. We were all dodging and flinging water around. At one point, I found a bucket. I snuck up behind Amber, and completely drenched her. She laid her ears back and yelped, turning towards me. She pounced, bringing the water up to my chin. My towel floated off somewhere, but I didn't notice.

We wrestled about, while Kayla found the bucket. She doused both of us completely. We finished cleaning up, but I couldn't find my towel. I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find it. I told "Kayla… I can't find my towel. Can you guys go first?"

 _ **Note: Chapters have been a little shorter, and the schedule has been a little off. I have been doing some other stuff, so apologies.**_


	19. Magic Antics

_**Amber's POV:**_

I waited at the room, Alex finally finding his way out of the bath. He entered the room and quickly changed. The first day had seen no major events. There was a storm brewing in the direction that the ship was headed. The captain reassured us that it was nothing major, and the ship had made its way through many worse storms.

We woke the next morning, holding each other close. The storm was now over us, and we were instructed to stay confined to the lower decks while the crew handled everything. Alex was now able to speak in Keidran, _though he still sucks at it._

Kayla had stayed in her room a little more than usual, keeping to herself. She had reassured Alex and I that It was nothing major, and that she wanted some time to herself. Alex and I stayed to ourselves, becoming closer and closer to each other.

On one night, we didn't get any food. Alex woke me in a panic, after I awoke him by nibbling on his ears. _Better make sure that never happens again…_ Our relationship strengthened, as we became more… _into it._

Alex was still shy about it, though I was open about it. It bugged me at times.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

"Are you sure you want to do this again?" Amber sat on me, her ears sticking up straight. Her floofy tail wisped around behind her excitedly. She slyly replied "I'm fine with it."

I flatly told her "This is the third night in a row. Are you sure?" She just smiled a reply. And that was that. Our time together was better than ever. We finished our activities, for the third night in a row. We cuddled in bed, talking in quiet voices to each other. She asked "Where do we go from here?" I could tell she noticed. I went quiet. "I was thinking we could just make it up as we go."

She turned over to face me. She moved forwards, resting her muzzle on my neck. She held against my full body, me returning the gesture. The empowering tiredness was too much for both of us. We slipped into a deep sleep.

 _ **Kayla's POV:**_

 _Could they be any louder…_ I laid in bed, jealous. Amber and Alex. Their relationship was far better than anything I could have ever dreamt of… _A human and a keidran. A relationship… It must not be that hard, right?_ I had never tried one. But now that I was no longer concealing myself, I decided it was about time.

 _ **Amber's POV**_

"Alex. I have a serious question for you." I questioned him, us both having woken late in the night, "Do you… love me?" His expressions went blank for a second or two, until he replied, much to my relief "I wouldn't you up for anything in this world or the next."

I asked, unsure, "What about… going home?" He held my paw and explained "I have no place in my world. I would never go back." Something in his eyes showed a look of terror at the thought. _What was his world like…?_ That's when an idea came into my head. I had learnt a new spell from one of the books we had been provided with on the journey.

I climbed out of bed, creeping across the room. I held out a mana crystal, letting Alex get a clear view of it. I explained, "I learnt a new spell from one of the books here. Not to mention a mana crystal that I came across." Stunned, he replied "You can read human?"

I told him "I don't know if this is going to work… but if it does…" I took the energy into me, and cast the spell. The mana had completely disappeared. He turned to lay on his back, inspecting his hands. He told me "I don't feel any different…" I giggled, making him glare at me in suspicion.

" _Are you sure about that?"_ Alex shot upright, nearly pulling the covers out from underneath me. I fell backwards, laying across his lap. He looked down at me, his eyes meeting mine. "How did you…?"

I told him " _You'll get used to it- it's called whisping. Think of it as you're talking to me."_ He stared blankly, only for nothing to happen. Something crossed my mind, sounding like " _...it last?"_ I told him, aloud, "The spell lasts a few weeks before you have to cast it again. I didn't expect it to work."

" _Oh. I can also do this."_ I started imagining things, _dirty things…_ He harshly whispered back at me, "Hey! Don't make me see tha- stop!"

" _It's so fun to mess with you."_ Alex replied, finally, " _Don't do that! It's only fair…" Oh no…_ Alex turned to a look of focus. I giggled, only to be denied any sort of reaction. Suddenly, the images filled my mind. " _Alex! Stop it!"_

Alex fell over backwards, doing all that he could to contain the laughter- I only know because the first few seconds were silent movements, only to be overtaken by laughter. I tried to remove the dirt images from my mind, unsuccessfully. I found my way back under the covers. Alex pulled me close to him, almost forcing a yelp of surprise. It was late night, the storm comfortably blowing around us, the noise calling for a deep sleep.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

The storm was a constant furry outside of the ship. The surrounding air had chilled, instinctively making me tighten the grip on Amber's body. Amber would occasionally mutter a word or a phrase of the sort in her sleep. At one point, she whisped something. It sounded like a giggle, and what I heard turned me bright red. She giggled out " _Oh… Alex~!"_

The next morning, Kayla commented on how quiet we seemed to be. Amber glanced up at me, harshly telling me " _Keep quiet."_ Kayla commented, once again, louder this time. Amber stood up, angering Kayla. She came back with a book. She whisped " _Lets hope she can read, because I don't remember."_

Amber showed Kayla a page in the book, confirming my thoughts. Kayla glanced between us, looking rather confused. She desperately asked "You guys… Amber, you learned it that quickly?"

Amber nodded a reply. I asked "Kayla, are you alright? You haven't… been around much lately." Kayla sighed, explaining "I have just felt a little deprived… being around you worsens it. Im looking for someone… a guy."

Amber rested her paw on Kayla's shoulder, informing her "I'm sure we can find you someone." Kayla smiled weakly, finishing her food and leaving for her room. The morning had just started, but the darkness of the storm made it seem like night.

That's when an idea came into my head. Amber and I sat at the low table in the main room. " _Amber. Do you know what… checkers is?"_ She glanced up, pausing her cleaning. Her tongue stuck out, forcing a chuckle. She asked "No. Some sort of game?"

I explained to her the best way I could, "It is a common game from… You know."

I found what materials I could and set up a board. At first, Amber completely missed the concept. At one point, she ended up sitting on the board, playfully threatening me. A few games of practice in, and she was really getting the hang of it. After what felt like an hour of teaching Amber what checkers was, Kayla joined us.

"What th… What are you… what is that?" She asked, confused. I began the lengthy process of explaining the simple concept of the game to Kayla, who tried a match against Amber. She failed miserably, still doing much better than Amber when she started playing. The rest of the day found the two intrigued in the game. The hours flew by as we sat and talked.

Kayla glanced out the window, nervous of the storm. I picked up the book that Amber had shown Kayla, most likely some sort of spellbook. I turned to Kayla, and attempted a spell. It had seemed to work with the shield. Kayla was pulled off of her feet. She screamed "What the hell!" Her legs flailed around wildly, meanwhile, Amber looked on with a look of terror. I lost focus, dropping her back on the floor, slowly inching away. Kayla looked around, a look of panic and worry on her face. Amber's expression mirrored that of Kayla's.

I slowly crawled away, holding back laughter. Kayla's gaze eventually met mine. Her look met mine with a strong look of suspicion. She glanced downwards, then back up to meet my eyes. She double took, and looked back down again, this time at the book I held.

Kayla stammered "H-How did you do th-that!" I held up the book and shrugged. Kayla glared even harder at me, Amber now giggling wildly. I tried again, this time grabbing Amber's tail and gently pulling on it. She immediately stopped laughing, reaching behind herself to grab her tail. I pulled her a few inches across the floor, before losing focus.

She whisped " _I hope you know tail grabbing is meant as an intimate gesture."_ I replied " _I have known for a while."_ Amber turned a shade of red, Kayla having noticed. A few more poking back and forth between us, the two resumed their game. I resumed my reading, finding the joke spells chapter. _I'll have to be careful with these…_

The two engaged in competitive game after game. The storm outside had seen no calm in the darkness. We were getting tired, regardless of the hour- the darkness made it impossible to tell. We left to our separate rooms. Once in bed, I playfully groped Amber. She told me " _Not right now…"_ Frustrated, I whispered " _Oh, NOW you're not in the mood?"_

 ** _ _Note: I got this all done in one night, a few hours of constant hard work. Sorry If its not the best chapter, I just wanted to get it out straight away tonight so I don't have anything to worry about tomorrow. All weekends will, sadly, have to be the same. I am practically brain dead after writing this. The weekends are going to be providing a much needed break. Hope you enjoy, and to those out of the states, I wont be writing tomorrow because of an international holiday. To those in the States, Happy Fourth Of July~!__**


	20. Snow?

**Sorry about the missed chapter... You know- international holiday- the 4th of July.**

 _ **Kayla's POV:**_

 _The storm is getting worse. The last time I saw anything this big and severe was…_ A chill was sent through my body. _Don't let it be true._ I laid in bed, being wary of the surrounding storm. It all seemed dangerously familiar. _These people wouldn't be ready._

Alex and Amber had remained reasonably quiet for the night, most likely a product of their most recent spell. _Just maybe…_ I crept out of my room, making sure that nobody was nearby. The book at on the low table in the main room, still open to a page where Alex had been reading. I carefully closed the book, being sure to not make a sound.

My feet found their way around somewhat accurately. I crept past the lowered table on my way back to my room, only to ram the edge of my left paw into it. _Son of a bitchhhhhh._ I nearly perfectly made my way around the rest of the room, avoiding contact with any of the nearby objects. For fear of waking one of the other two, I rushed back.

The book was very thick. _It must contain thousands of spell… I can't practice any of them until I can find some crystals back at home._

Not far into reading, I fell ill to fatigue. My eyes and ears drooped. I didn't bother remove the covers. The room was definitely cool, but my fur was warm enough for me to sleep. I fell face-first onto the bed, falling into a nearly restless sleep. The thoughts of the surrounding dark, fast moving clouds haunted me. _Snow. They would never survive a day…_

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

Alex shook me awake. It was close to afternoon outside, still hard to judge by the weather. The darkness of the previous day had been replaced by a gloomy grey. The rain outside was a steady, peaceful drizzle. The fury of the winds had disappeared, only to be replaced by silence. The day dragged on as boredom began to take its hold. We hid around the rooms, participating in aimless childhood games.

We continued the game, called 'checkers' by Alex. We hid and sought each other out. We read out spells. Alex seemed… _unusual._

You see, humans still cannot use magic at their own free will. They have to draw it from the earth itself. How Alex had been drawing the energy seemingly from thin air… it was impossible.

Alex whisked away one of Kayla's checker pieces. At first, she didn't notice. Alex stole away another checker piece. She turned and made eye contact with him accusingly. He looked up from his book, and only shrugged in reply. She turned back around, resuming play. Alex shuffled the board slightly to the side. Kayla pressed her paws on the board, holding it in place.

Alex whisked it across the room, taking Kayla with it. She landed upside down against one of the far walls of the room, dazed and confused. She stood up and threw the board at Alex. He laughed and dodged it effortlessly, only to be countered by a very large hard cover book, of about one thousand pages. It bounced off of his head with a loud _**thump.**_

The journey seemed longer as the days dragged on. The storm had moved far over the horizon, and the nights had seemed much colder than I had ever experienced. The nights brought Alex and I far under the covers, forcing us to rely on extra blankets and body heat for comfort and warmth.

The boat was nearly there. A crew member joined us one evening in the doorway to discuss our arrival. He told us, obviously under a control spell, "We shall be arriving in four days time. If you have any further questions, question the guard at the end of the hall." His tone was flat, influenced by the control spell.

On the third day, something seemed off. The nights had become cold. The air was so cold, that we had been given more blankets and coverings by the crew members of the ship. Kayla didn't seem bothered by the intense cold air, even giving us her blankets for extra warmth. Alex and I sat close to each other, him hardly daring to move. My thick fur coat had came in, expectant of winter. The coat had grown to stand up to _cool_ weather.

60 degrees minimum, it seemed off. I was slightly cold, while Alex freezing and holding tightly to me.

Kayla calmly sat on the other seat, hardly acknowledging the cold. Something inside told me she knew something that we didn't. _Something that I didn't…_

Finally! Land was within view. _Something isn't right._ The mainland was covered with clouds. Everything seemed discolored and bright. The clouds sprawled as far as the eyes could see. Kayla refused to talk about it. I demanded "Comon! What's happening!" Kayla told me that "I do not know. But if my suspicions are confirmed…"

Kayla seemed extremely concerned about what was going on. She had said nothing other than the previous. The land was closer. Everything was blanketed in a bright white substance. Everyone seemed confined to their homes. There was no activities going on outside.

The ship reached port. Kayla seemed surprised. Alex, however, wasn't phased by it in the slightest. He held his thick coverings that he had found close to him, walking straight off of the ship. He turned to face us, both staring back at him with confusion.

Kayla strode off of the boat next. The crew looked on in fear, not daring move onto the land.

Alex threw something directly at me. It impacted square on my chest. I yelped out and growled back at him. The white substance was incredibly cold, at stuck to my shirt in places. It began to soak my shirt. I ran around, rather foolishly, clawing at my shirt.

Alex looked on in laughter. Kayla eyed him suspiciously. Kayla and I both questioned "Alex…" He turned to face me. "What?" Kayla nervously asked me; "You… What? I haven't seen this in… years."

Alex, glanced around at the cold white world. "So you guys don't get… You're telling me you don't get snow here?"

I put one paw into the 'snow'. It disappeared into it, soaking my paw. I jumped around, flipping my paw around trying to get it off. Kayla calmly stood aside Alex in it, waiting for me.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

 _So they don't get snow here… This has only got to be a few inches._ Kayla explained, "I have never seen snow here… The last time I saw snow was…" She trailed off, suggesting where she came from. The village was far emptier than usual, few people daring to venture around. I cautiously brought Amber off of the deck.

 _Walking in a winter wonder land..._


	21. Back On The Trail

**Note: I have plans to continue the story line and characters, even after this story is finished. There will be a new story when this one is finished, continuing with the same characters- Im not going to say too much, but It will have to be set in another story.**

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

I hissed, " _Alex. What is this?"_ As we walked through town, my paws were cold and everything was cold. Kayla stood, looking around in shock. Alex calmly lead us through the small town, which appeared empty. " _It's snow. It's like some sort of frozen water."_

 _Frozen water…_ I reached down, and cupped some of the strange white fluff in my hands. I brought my paw up to my muzzle, licking the 'snow'. It tasted bland. I bit into it, freezing my sharp rows of teeth in the process. The snow melted in my mouth, turning into water. I looked up to see Alex staring into my eyes, a look of content on his face.

He told me "See? It's just water." We walked on, having no destination in particular. I led us ahead to a shop, eager to cover up. The cold air nipped at my skin, my fur providing little protection. A bell sounded as we walked into the shop. There was nobody at the counter.

Suddenly, a short, old man came hobbling around the corner. He found his way behind a small counter, addressing the three of us. The shelves around were messily stocked with rags and flasks. Among the items at the end of the shelf were some rugged boots. Alex understood and took them from the shelves, along with two robes.

"Ah. Winter traveling, eh? I've only seen a winter like this once before, in my whole lifetime." He took the boots from Alex and inspected them. Demandingly, he said "4 silver coins." Alex forked up the silver coins, digging deep into his backpack. He told me " _I forgot I even still had these…"_

The man handed the boots back to Alex, who handed them to me. He offered us our robes, which we both took greedily. I slipped the boots on over my wet fur, instantaneously warming up from the cloak. A fire burned in a nearby fireplace, hardly providing any warmth to the room. We awkwardly left, finding our way out once again. The ragged boots kept my feet warm, and, surprisingly dry. _All for 4 silver coins…_

The strange whiteness had began to fall from the sky. Kayla giggled, now past the initial shock. A particle landed on my nose. I shook around, only to have it replaced by another. Another landed on my nose, only to be shaken off. Alex reached over and plopped the robe's hood on. I glared at him, my ears twitching around wildly.

"It's the best way to stay dry." He turned back forwards, continuing his path. I was first to speak of the idea. "Alex. I have an idea of where to go from here. Somewhere away far from the control of the Templar. I'm not even sure if it exists…"

He asked "What is the place called? Where is it?" I sighed, lowering my voice. "It is a place far off… The Orchard Valley." Kayla stood rigid. She slowed her pace, her face going expressionless. "Amber, are you crazy? Nobody even knows if that's a real place!"

My head lowered. "I don't know. We are going there, it is your choice to come or go." Kayla growled at me threateningly. I quickened my pace, Alex following. Kayla jogged forwards, glancing at Alex. "I'm following her. She seems to know what she is doing."

 _ **Kayla's POV:**_

 _Sigh… I guess I don't have a choice. Alex is right…_ "Okay fine. I'll come with you. This just better be a real place." Amber motioned forwards, suggesting we get moving. The town passed rather quickly, restraining us to the pathway. It seemed impossible to navigate the forest, especially while it was covered in snow. Amber explained "The trail leads on for a few miles. In this weather, we might be able to make it to the next town by nightfall."

The day dragged on, as did we. The going was slow, Amber still not used to the hard going. She cold was getting through my fur, as I suspected it was with Amber's fur coat, along with Alex's clothing. The nearest town was within view, barely visible through the thick, grey fog. Surprisingly, there were people out and around on the hardened stone streets. The snow was somewhat packed down, providing much relief as we entered. Without hesitation, we found our way to the nearest inn.

The day had transferred to night, the darkness setting in. Alex payed the cheaper-than-expected fees, bringing us to our two rooms. Amber explained "Well, I guess this is goodnight… See you in the afternoon." Amber lunged at me, enveloping me in a friendly hug. Alex and her snuck off to their room, obviously eager to get to bed. I slipped away to my room, just next to theirs.

 _At least they're tired tonight… So I can rest easy._

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

The morning light squirmed its way into the room. The room was illuminated a depressing dark grey, providing hardly any sunlight or happiness. Amber lay in bed, gripping me tightly. I shuffled away from her, only to be pulled back in. Eventually, I freed myself. I snuck out of the room leaving with only a towel. Amber would get the hint to where I left. I snuck, not daring to awaken anyone. I found my way down the hallway, which had yet to be lit by torches.

I came to the door, and knocked. _Good. Nobody._ I opened the door and slipped into the bath, being careful to close it silently as I entered. I climbed silently into the bath, which appeared to be, once again, magically heated. I snapped awake, as someone knocked at the door.

"C-Come in?" The door creaked open, Amber walking through the door. She was already undressed, the usual for a Keidran. She slid into the bath, speaking directly. "Why did you leave without me?" _sigh._ "I didn't want to wake you up… You're cute when you sleep, you know."

Amber blushed, scratching at her fur. She sighed. "After walking that much yesterday… this sure is nice." Amber stood up, the water pooling at her thighs. She walked over towards me. I leapt forwards playfully, knocking her over onto her back, me atop her. Suddenly, the door opened. Kayla walked into the bath, catching sight of us.

Amber stammered, trying to explain "It's not wh-what it looks l-like!" Kayla stared down at us, nothing "Well it surely looks like something. One hell of a something…" I threaded my way back to the other side of the bath, blushing at the awkwardness of the moment.

Kayla climbed into the warm bath, sighing aloud at the relief. Back at the room, Amber knocked me to the bed playfully before I had a chance to dry off. Amber's fur had fluffed all over the place, now dry. We resumed in our intended activities, before Kayla joined us in the bath.

We hastily packed our things, wanting to avoid staying in one town for a period of more than one day. We met Kayla in the front area of the inn, making our way out. The grey sustained its hold on the island, to where the snow had stopped falling. The ground had only been coated another inch. The air was warmer, melting the snow. We made our way to a shop, where Alex stole two tents that we wedged into our packs. We found our way out of town, keeping the items hidden. The trail was far ahead, Amber leading the way.


	22. Aut-Note: Bad News

_**I have something that I have been needing to share with all of you. I am a serious member of the furry fandom. There is one thing about it, that has been feeling like a burden... So, I am very to myself about all of this- TwoKinds, Furries, all that stuff... The night time is where I can really be myself, and that also happens to be when I am only able to write comforably. I am constantly locking my doors to keep people out of my space, just so this side of me is never discovered. I am really able to be alone around 10:30 every night, and each chapter can take a few hours, when its not rushed.**_

 _ **This writing has been a lot of fun for the first few weeks... But latley, It has been holding me back. I keep finding myself dreading the hour that I have to began writing.**_

 _ **I may or may not be finishing the story off very soon. It is a lot of work for me, and it takes up so much of my time where I can be myself. Chapters are going to be slowed down a lot. Staying up until 2 A.M every night is very unhealthy for me, and it has began to take its toll on me physically and mentally. Waking up at one in the afternoon really screws a lot of things up for me- its that or wake up earlier feeling shitty. I will most likely be finishing the story off within the next few chapters. Expect a week from today to be the last chapter, depending on what I am able to write. Emotional breakdowns have been becoming much more common as the story goes on.**_

 _ **I might start a sequel to the story, but the upload schedule would be very spread out- past the 72 hour range.**_

 **I am really sorry guys- writing this has made me feel horrible. I hope you all have enjoyed the story, but It has become too much for me. I really love you all, just writing this message has caused me to break down. I love you all so much, and I really hope you are able to find something else to look forward to.**

 _Best of luck-_ _ **Aidan**_


	23. AutNo: Is This Goodbye?

_**Living through it once before... when I was a child. It was the most miserable few months of my entire life. Now? Being in my teens, a constant pay check? I don't know.**_

 _ **We left the house for a few days a couple of weeks back. Soon, we may be leaving again. But this time, we may not be coming back. Ever.**_

 _ **He said he could change. Until tonight. "I can't change my ways..." He has given up on us. He has basically shown us the door... Who knows where we will stay. Will I ever see Indian Hills Middle School again? We don't know... All we know is that it is likley that we will be leaving soon.**_

 **Guys, I am going to be idle for a while- now for sure. I can't bare to stay awake any longer, though its many hours before my usual bedtime...**

 _Who knows if I will be able to find sleep in the many hours to come..._


	24. Within Reach

_**I know its a shorter chapter, but I have news: I might be continuing the story after the Orchard Valley is reached, but in a different way. I would upload it at my own random schedule, maybe even weekly. This has been a well deserved break to me, as I have been occupied with other things.**_

 _ **Kayla's POV:**_

I stretched, wishing to forget the previous day's hard travel. The tent was full of freezing winter air, still, unusual for the lower valley. _I wonder how it is up in the mountains…_

The food had been administered, and we left on our way. Two days of hard travel had been completed. Amber suggested it would take six to reach our final destination- The Orchard Valley.

We ate what we could, being careful to maintain our rations for the travel. Our gear was wearing down, the snow following. It was slowly turning back to water, or 'melting' as Alex had told us.

The trail ahead was even. No footprints had appeared in the snow, signaling isolation.

On the fourth day of the trip, we had ran out of conversation. The snow was nearly gone, and the temperatures had began to climb once again. Alex asked, groggy from lack of sleep, "Amber, how close are we?"

She glanced around worriedly, replying "We have been making good time. We should be there by tomorrow morning." Alex groaned in reply, obviously running out of energy.

 _ **Alex's POV:**_

I told her " _It's getting worse. We need to g-"_ My legs fell out from underneath me, my body falling to the ground. I pushed off of the ground, only for the world to blacken around me.

 _ **Amber's POV:**_

"Alex!" Kayla beat me to his side, his words having been cut short from my mind. I turned him over, feeling around. To my relief, I was able to tell Kayla" He's still breathing."

Rustling through our supplies, we managed to set up camp. I brought the weakened Alex to the tent, unable to think straight. _Will he ever wake up?_ I had heard horror stories about people slipping into a never ending sleep, only to lose in the end to dehydration.

 _Maybe that's the issue…_ I drizzled some of the water we had brought into Alex's mouth. The night had fallen upon the world, forcing us into our tents. The cold had become bearable, but the tiredness had not.

 _After all, Alex is asleep… I don't think he would notice if…_

The morning hit with full force. Alex woke before we did, having breakfast prepared. "I feel like I have been hit by a train." Alex noticed me, and shook his head. I asked " _Another reference from your world, I take it?"_ He told me " _Yes it is. I'm sorry."_

Much to my surprise, he leaned over and brought his lips to mine. After a few seconds, we were interrupted by Kayla. "Oh, you're finally up!" She exclaimed. She leapt at Alex, enveloping him into a hug.

Meanwhile, I awkwardly sat around, taking in the scenery. We had been traveling through the mountains for two days, now approaching an open valley. The Orchard Valley was so close.

 _The nearest hill…_

I commanded "Alex, Kayla, you guys pack up camp. I'm going to see how close we are." High up one of the mountain sides, I could see our destination. It sat far off in the valley, at least one more day of travel, and we would finally be there.


End file.
